The Wedding Planner (Miraculous Ladybug)
by MiraculouslyTrashy
Summary: Adrien Agreste returns to Paris after years of being abroad, working as CEO of Agreste Fashion after the arrest of his father. He's engaged to be wed and has decided that he wants to be home in Paris for the ceremony. Only the best wedding planner in Paris is capable of planning such an event. The mysterious 'M', who turns out to be a familiar face from his past...
1. Part 1

"Only the best. Only the best for me and Adrikins, that's what I said. I don't want the stress of planning a wedding, I told them I wanted the best wedding planner in all of Paris and nothing less! Don't you agree, Adrikins?" Chloe Bourgeois raises her eyebrows at Adrien sitting across from her in the limo.

It's been nearly a decade since an Akuma wreaked havoc on the streets of Paris, since Chat Noir and Ladybug defeated Hawkmoth; nearly a decade since Paris has seen their superheroes. Nearly a decade since the superheroes have seen each other.

After obtaining Hawkmoth's Miraculous, there was no more need for Ladybug and Chat Noir to patrol the streets of Paris. Master Fu allowed them to remain guardians of their Miraculous' but to only transform if the city truly needed them. And it never did. The two heroes parted ways, never knowing the other's identity.

Everyone went their separate ways after graduation day at Francoise Dupont, as many do. After Gabriel was taken into custody after his vail as Hawkmoth was lifted, Adrien became the head of the family company: Agreste Fashion.

A busy life under the spotlight. Meetings to attend, deadlines to meet, appearances to keep. And that's when Chloe Bourgeois strode back into his life. As someone in the industry, it was an easy match to make in the eyes of the public and corporations. She was an understanding companion when he needed her, and after a year she was his fiancée.

And he was content.

"Adrikins!"

He blinks his eyes in surprise, realizing he had spaced out. "Yes?" he replies politely.

Chloe narrows her eyes slightly, "It was _your_ idea to come back to Paris to get married, I wanted to stay in _Milan_ , but you know I love you, so I agreed. The least you can do is appreciate that I'm making the best of this situation."

His eyebrows raise, "Yes, thank you, Chloe. What were you saying about the wedding planner?"

She smiles contently, "I got us the best planner in Paris, she does everything, the gown, the venue, the food, she's incredible. Anyone who's anyone in France uses her for their big day." She clasps her hands together in excitement, "And we are much more than 'anyone'. She should be paying _us_ for the privilege of doing our wedding."

"She sounds amazing. What's her name?" Adrien implores, truly curious.

Chloe scoffs, "Someone as ionic as her doesn't have a name, she goes by 'M'."

"'M'? And we're on our way to meet with her right now?"

"Of course! Our wedding will be the most fabulous in all of France! Oh! I've got to post about this," she pulls out her phone and starts typing.

He smiles and turns back towards the window, watching the cars and the buildings go by. He looks up at the roofs, remembering vaulting over buildings with Ladybug as a kid. Now nearing 30, his responsibilities take priority, leaving Chat Noir just a name from the past. He unconsciously fidgets with a ring on his finger, a replacement after he hid his own Miraculous in a secure location.

Their limo pulls up to a boutique in the center of Paris. The building is clean and modern, large glass panels reveal a large studio with two dozen employees working inside.

The driver opens the door for Chloe and Adrien. Chloe steps out in a chic yellow dress, Adrien in a simple suit. A few photographers catch a few shots of them before they enter the boutique.

"Miss Bourgeois, Mr. Agreste!" A woman greets them as they enter, "We are honored to have you here."

"Are you M?" Chloe asks, looking the woman up and down.

The woman laughs quietly, "Oh no, I am senior representative and designer Margaret Flinn. M is quite busy at the moment putting the finishing touches on our last client's dress."

"I didn't come here for you, Ms. Flinn; I'm here for M." Chloe chastises, "I demand to see her right now." She crosses her arms.

Margaret clears her throat, "I can set up an in-person appointment for tomorrow. Though, I can assure you that I am her most trusted colleague, and that she would still be doing the final design and planning after you and I have a discussion over what your vision is for the wedding."

Chloe scoffs, "Am I supposed to do everything?"

Adrien puts a hand on her shoulder, causing her to lower her intensity. He smiles at Margaret, "Tomorrow, Thursday, would be great. 2:00?"

She smiles appreciatively, "That would be perfect."

"We'll see you tomorrow then." He nods, turning Chloe towards the door, when something catches his eye across the room.

He leads her out to the limo, opening the door for her, "I just remembered, I have to pick up something around the corner, I'll meet you back at home."

She rolls her eyes, "Why not just let an assistant do it? That's why I hired them."

"I'll be quick" he assures her before closing the door and watching the limo drive out of sight.

He walks back into the boutique, Margaret greets him again, slightly confused, "Mr. Agreste, is there something you need?"

His eyes wander around the studio office. "I was wondering if I could look around for a bit; see how things are run here, it seems very impressive."

Her eyes widen, "Of course, take a look, I'm sure everyone would be willing to answer any questions you have."

His eyes land on the item that previously caught his interest, "How do you know M?"

She raises her eyebrows, "Oh, we went to university together, she was top of our class. We decided to open this place right out of school and just got lucky with the business."

He smiles, "'Luck' has nothing to do with it, based on what I've seen of the work you've done here."

"T-thank you, Mr. Agreste." She lowers her eyes. "I must get back to work, but feel free to continue to look around."

"Thank you." He wanders between drafting tables, smelling a sweet aroma drifting in from elsewhere in the building. He comments on the work of the employees, giving feedback and praise.

Eventually he makes his way over to a glass display box next to a walled in office. He cracks a smile looking down on the pigeon feather hat preserved inside the display. He leans in closer, taking in all the detail for what feels like the first time, but is far from it. His nose twitches slightly at the thought of his first time wearing the hat.

He straightens up and notices the door to the adjacent office is slightly ajar. He peeks inside, pushing the door further in to get a better look.

His heart jumps when he spies the slender woman inside; her black hair trimmed short since the last time he'd seen her. With her back to the door, she works around a mannequin dressed in an exquisite white gown. With a small tin of beads in one hand and tweezers in the other, she crouches in her black overalls and white t shirt, working along the bodice.

He lingers in the doorway, watching her work, unconsciously taking a step into the office, the door creaks.

"Margie?" She lifts her head at the sound of the door. She turns and sees a wide-eyed Adrien standing in her doorway. "Oh!" she exclaims, startled, she jumps at the sight of him, sending a few beads rolling along the paneled flooring.

"Sorry," Adrien rushes in and kneels down, picking up as many beads as he can. "I'm so sorry,"

She kneels down next to him to collect the wayward beads. "It's fine, it's fine, don't worry about it," she assures, keeping her head low.

He catches the last bead from rolling away and turns his body to face her, "Here".

She holds out the tin and lets him pour the beads back into it, keeping her head down, "Thanks," she breathes.

They hesitate, neither moving to get up off the ground.

Adrien tries to catch her eyes, "Marinette?"

She looks up, a strained smirk on her face, "Mr. Agreste?"

He raises his eyebrows, " _Please_ call me Adrien, unless you want to be solely referred to as ' _M_ '?"

A more relaxed smile crosses her face, "Adrien" she replies calmly, but can feel her insides fluttering with butterflies.

He helps her to her feet and she sets the tin of beads on her drafting table. "Is Chloe with you?" she inquires nonchalantly. She turns back towards him, "Congrats by the way. On the engagement."

He smirks, "Thanks, and no, I told her I would catch up later. I saw the pigeon hat and had to see if it was you." He leans against the table.

"Oh, yeah, it's me," she tucks a strand of hair behind her ear.

"You seem to have really made a name for yourself, _M_."

She rolls her eyes, "The 'M' thing was Margie's idea, thought it added to the _exclusivity_ of our brand."

"Seems to have worked. This is incredible" he adds sincerely.

"I can say the same to you, Mr. _Country-Hopping, CEO, Cover-of-every-magazine_ guy _._ " she jokes, warming up to her old friend.

He lets out a laugh, "Yeah, I guess that's me." He pauses and sighs, "Wow, I can't remember the last time I felt like... _this_." He fiddles with the ring on his finger.

"Like what?"

He gazes thoughtfully at her for a moment, then shrugs, "Hard to say, maybe Paris just has that effect" He dismisses.

Marinette catches herself staring at him, tearing her gaze away. "Yeah, I mean, I bet you're busy with the company, and now the wedding..." she trails off.

Adrien keeps his eyes on her, "Marinette, I-"

"Marinette?" Margaret knocks on the door and peeks her head in, seeing her and Adrien leaning against the drafting table together, "Oh, I didn't know you were in conference with Mr. Agreste."

They immediately straighten up, Marinette clears her throat, "No bother, what is it you wanted to ask?" she replies with a level tone.

Margaret looks down at her tablet, "Just checking the gown's status."

She picks up the tin of beads, they rattle inside, "It'll be done by the end of the day."

Margaret nods, "Sounds good. I'll check up on the other groups now. Sorry for interrupting." She dismisses herself.

There's a moment of silence before they each begin to talk at the same time.

"I should get back to work" "I really need to finish this"

Adrien walks towards the door, but turns back, "We should catch up some more. Are, uh, Alya and Nino still in Paris?" He adds, almost as a second thought.

"Yeah, we should all meet somewhere for lunch or something. I'll text her." Marinette replies.

"Oh, give me your phone," Adrien exclaims, "I have a different number now," he adds his number to her phone, "so text me when you set a time" he hands her phone back.

She tries to control the goofy smile on her face, "Will do,"

He lingers by the door to her office again, "See you tomorrow, nonetheless."

Her eyebrows pull together, "Wait, why?"

"For the wedding consultation, with Chloe."

"Right. See you then." She waves as he closes her office door behind him.

She releases a sigh, collapsing into her desk chair. She rests her head in her arms on her desk, "Tikki?" she mumbles through her arms.

Tikki flies out from under the desk, "What's wrong, Marinette?" she chirps.

"I don't know if I can get through this," her words still muffled against the desk, "planning Adrien and Chloe's wedding? It's a bit much right now,"

Tikki hovers near her head on the desk, "Do you still have feelings for him?"

She lifts her head, "You know I do," she puts her head back down, "it was bad enough that the engagement announcement was splashed across every single news source for a month, but now I have to plan it myself?" she sighs deeply, "I thought I would be able to handle this, but I don't think I can,"

"Can't you just tell Chloe you're booked or something?"

She shakes her head, "She'll single handedly ruin this company if I turn her away now." She straightens up and smooths her hair, "I've just got to keep it together."

"You've got this." Tikki nuzzles up against her arm.

"Thanks, Tikki." She picks up the tin of beads, "I'm just going to finish this up and call Alya."

"Beautiful as usual" Margaret compliments as the packages the gown from Marinette's office.

"Thanks. I think I'm going to call it a day now." She picks up her purse and heads for an elevator in the corner of the studio floor.

"See you tomorrow." Margaret waves her off before rejoining the few remaining people finishing up.

Marinette swipes an access card which opens the elevator doors. She steps in and rides it up to her apartment on the 3rd floor of the boutique.

She steps into her generous apartment and video calls Alya on her phone. She relaxes into the couch as Alya picks up. "Hey girl, actually done with work at a reasonable time?"

Marionette sighs, "Yeah, for once." She stretches her arm behind her head, "So you're not going to believe who came in today,"

"Chloe?" Alya says knowingly, "It was all over social media that's she's having the 'wedding of the century' done by, none other than 'M' herself." She smirks.

Marinette rubs her temples at the thought, "Don't remind me." She shakes her head, "And no, I actually had a conversation with Adrien, alone, in my office. He kinda snuck up on me, really." She turns her face away as her cheeks grow warm.

"You're kidding! Was it weird, you didn't spazz did you?" She raises an eyebrow.

She scoffs, "Oh please, don't you think I've matured past that phase?" She smiles, looking back at Alya who has a knowing look, "Only a little,"

"Mmhmm. So, when're you guys running away together?"

Marinette cheeks glow bright red, "Shhh, no no no, don't even- I would never, how could you say such a thing?"

She laughs, "I'm kidding, I'm kidding... mostly." She winks.

Marinette sighs, "Anyway... he was wondering if you and Nino were free to get lunch or something this week or whenever."

Her eyes light up, "Gettin' the group back together? Sweet! One sec," she turns and shouts behind her, "Hey, you free for lunch with Marinette and Adrien this week?"

Nino walks into frame behind Alya holding their toddler, Manny. "Adrien? Sure! I'll just drop this guy off at grandma's house."

"We're in! How about this Saturday?" Alya looks back at Marinette through her phone.

"Fine with me. I'll text Adrien and let him know. He has a new cell number," she mentions off hand.

"Hmm," Alya scrutinizes, "that explains the lack of contact over the years..."

Marinette shrugs, "Things happen, life happens. He has a whole company to run."

"So do you!" She points out, "It's just that, I was pretty sure he had forgotten about us."

Marinette shakes her head, "Well he hasn't. And it will be super nice to catch up all together. Make up for lost time."

"You're right," she nods, "this will be a nice." Crying is heard in the background, "Oh, I better go see what that's about. See ya."

"See ya, I'll let you know when Adrien confirms."

"Cool cool." Alya waves before the call disconnects.

Marinette wears a dark navy dress, heels, and large sunglasses at her desk, her foot tapping rapidly as the clock inches towards two o'clock. She tugs at her dress, not used to wearing the formal business clothing which she only pulls out of her closet for meeting clients. It was another idea Margaret had for upscaling their brand, and of course, she was right.

Tikki flies out of her desk, "Chloe won't recognize you, don't worry. I bet she hasn't thought of you since Francoise Dupont High."

She cracks a smile, "I mean, you're probably right, but I'm still worried. What if Adrien mentioned that I'm M, or that he's meeting up with Marinette tomorrow, so she suddenly remembers me and will connect the dots and-" there's a knock on her office door. Tikki flies to her hiding spot.

Margie peeks her head in, "The Agrestes are here."

Marinette straightens up, instantly regaining her professional composure. "Send them in."

Chloe bursts in first wearing a white jumpsuit, "M! So glad to finally meet you in person. I couldn't trust anyone else to get my wedding right but you."

Marinette stands to greet her, "I'm honored to give you the wedding you want most," she says through a slightly strained smile. She motions for Chloe to sit in front of her desk.

"Adrikins!" she calls back as she sits.

Adrien trails in and closes the door. He smiles warmly at Marinette, "You must be M."

"Duh," Chloe interrupts, "I came here for M, so I get M. It's so funny sometimes how you doubt me." She turns back towards M and pulls out her phone, "So here's the list of things I want at my wedding."

Marinette leans in and looks at the list, "Uh, can you explain what you mean by... 'horse holding train'?"

"I thought you were a professional," she mumbles, "I want to ride in on a horse at the ceremony, it will bring me down the aisle to Adrien. Another 5 or 6 horses will come in behind me holding up my vail train. But they must all be very well behaved and trained; they _will not_ _soil_ the pristine nature of my all-white wedding. So, white horses obviously."

Marinette realizes that her mouth is hanging open a bit, "Oh, I see." She continues looking at the list, but then looks up at Adrien. "Adr-, er, Mr. Agreste. Do you have any requests for the ceremony or reception?"

He shakes his head, "As long as Chloe is happy, I'm happy."

"Aw, Adrikins, that's right." She leans in for a kiss which he returns; a quick peck, but takes all of Marinette's willpower not to react.

"Can you send this list to me? And I can get started right away on the planning." She slides Chloe's phone back across the desk, "And what date did you have in mind for the big day?"

Chloe picks up her phone, "Next month, the 17th."

Marinette's eyes go wide behind her sunglasses, "Next month? Some of the things on your list require _more_ than a month's notice, Miss. Bourgeois."

Chloe's eyes narrow, "I was told you're the best wedding planner in Paris." She states sternly, "Unless _I'm_ mistaken, I believe you will Get. It. Done."

Adrien puts a hand on her leg, "Chloe, darling, there's really no rush."

She turns to him in astonishment, "Adrikins, every other month this year is taken by some other major celebrity couple's wedding day. It would be a total faux pas if we were to impose our wedding on a claimed month. Think of the press and the gossip that would follow; it could even bring down Agreste Industries. It _must_ be next month." She turns and smiles at Marinette before standing, "I'll be in for my dress fitting next week. The list includes my measurements and the style I want." She starts walking towards the door, "Come along, Adrikins. Let M get to work."

He stands up from his chair, giving Marinette an apologetic look. He looks to see if Chloe has left the office before turning back to her and whispering, "See you for lunch tomorrow." He smiles before following Chloe out.

Marinette lowers her sunglasses, taking them off. "This is worse than putting up with her during school." She mumbles.

"Where do you think you're going?" Chloe interrogates as Adrien comes out of his office and picks up his keys, "Driving yourself? What is up with you lately?"

He walks over to her lounging on the couch. "I've finished my work for this morning; I'm going out to meet up with some friends for lunch." He answers honestly.

Chloe raises an eyebrow, "'Friends'? Who?"

"No one you need to worry about," he starts rubbing her shoulders, "Nino, Alya, -did you know they have a kid now?" He adds, automatically diverting the conversation slightly, knowing the reaction Chloe may give if he mentions Marinette. He didn't want to risk triggering Chloe's memory and putting Marinette's business in peril.

"Must you really meet with them?" She looks up at him, "I've built up your image to where it is now; don't let an afternoon lunch ruin what I've done for you."

"They're friends, Chloe." He says, trying to keep an even tone.

"And when was the last time you talked to these ' _friends_ ' of yours? You haven't mentioned anyone from your past life since we've been together, and who knows how long before that? You, and I, have become who we are now by blocking those kinds of people from our pasts." She reaches up and runs her hand down his arm, caressing him.

"I'm still going to go." He says plainly.

Chloe stands suddenly, "Don't you care?! Why aren't you listening to me? I'm trying to protect you. What would your father think?!"

"I'll keep an eye out for reporters." He states before heading out the door, holding back any replies he also had stored up in his mind.

"Adrikins!" He hears her yell through the door.

As he walks out to his car, he feels that familiar feeling he felt when he was with Marinette in her office. It's only dampened by the guilt Chloe laid on his shoulders. With a slight pang in his chest, he drives into the city.

Adrien parks his car down the block from the cafe they planned to meet at. He walks with this head down, trying not to make eye contact with people until the chime of the cafe door sounded. He looks around and spies Alya and Nino at a back table. A smile spreads across his face as he heads back towards them.

Nino is the first to notice him. His eyes light up and he stands to greet him, "Adrien, bro, you look so good! How've you been?" He pulls Adrien in for a bro-hug.

He chuckles a bit, "Thanks, thanks, so do you. I'm good."

"And you're engaged? That's crazy!" Nino exclaims.

"To Chloe." Alya adds, standing, "That is pretty crazy." She says with a hint of sarcasm. Adrien and her hug.

Adrien sits down after the hug, "I heard that you guys have a kid? That's truly amazing, congratulations!"

"Yeah, his name's Manny." Nino instantly takes out his phone and starts flipping through his photos of their child.

Adrien grins at the small toddler, "So cute."

Nino elbows him jokingly, "You think you're gonna have a few rugrats of your own someday?"

Adrien smirks, fidgeting a bit in his seat, "Yeah, I would love to," he shrugs, "but I've brought it up to Chloe before and she didn't seem so keen on the idea," he shakes it off, "but whatever makes her happy, you know."

Alya's phone buzzes. She looks down and checks a text message. "It's from Marinette." She reads further, "'Caught up at work, can't make it. I'm really sorry. Go on without me though, I promise we'll hang out again sometime!' Aw, that's too bad" she comments at the end.

Adrien's shoulders drop a bit. "Yeah, too bad" he says, losing a bit of that energy he had when he left his house.

There's a pause before Nino breaks the silence, "Hey, what do you guys want to eat? I'm starving."

The mood is revived as they start to discuss their orders. In the back of Adrien's mind, he makes plans for afterward.

Marinette has a myriad of papers strewn about her office; some with possible menu options, dress designs and fabrics, venue decorations, seating arrangements, and so on.

Her hands have a slight tremor as she tries to flesh out another dress design, her eye has a slight twitch from straining her focus.

There's a knock at the door. Her head stays bent over her desk, focused, "Margie?" she replies, her voice cracking a bit from not being used all day.

"Wrong again." Adrien steps into her office, closing the door behind him.

Her head snaps up at the sound of his voice. "Adrien? What are you doing here? You're supposed to be with Alya and Nino."

He walks further in, "I was. We had a really nice chat. But now, it's nearly six o'clock." He holds up a takeout bag, "And it seems like you need a break."

Her eyes struggle to focus on him, after having stared at papers 10 inches from her face all day. She rubs her eye with the back of her hand, "Six? Already? I-I can't stop now though, there's so much to do for Chloe's wedding."

Adrien sighs sadly. He sees the pencil in her hand trembling. He sets the bag of food on the floor next to her desk and kneels besides her. "You need a break." His hands enclose around her right hand, easing the pencil from her grasp and holding her hand steady. Her hands are cold and stiff compared to his. "Have you eaten today?"

A small buzz runs up her spine in reaction to his touch. She shakes her head slightly, "I... I think I had a granola bar around 7..." she answers still slightly out of it, slowly becoming more present in the moment.

He smirks gently, "That's not good, Mari." He reaches into the bag and pulls out a cup of soup, a sandwich, and a muffin. He clears a small area on her desk and places the food down.

She shakes her head, "You didn't have to do this, you shouldn't have. Are you still hungry? Have some of this sandwich or something," she insists.

"No no, this is all for you." He moves her pencils to her drafting table and then sits across from her, looking at her expectantly.

Marinette sighs, "Fine." She takes a bite of the sandwich and seemingly all the tension in her body releases. "Thanks." She says with half a mouthful of food.

"Any time." He replies, relaxing into the chair. He looks around at all the papers, "If you're doing _all_ this, what are all those people in the rest of this place doing?" He asks cheekily.

She swallows another bite, "Everything has to come through me, for approval and everything. The dress, itself, is all me." She takes another bite.

His eyebrows raise, "Wow, that's a lot."

"Yeah, but I love it, most of the time," she looks up at him consciously, "not that your and Chloe's wedding is a burden or anything, or not fun, or a pain. I'm honored, we're _all_ honored, to be doing this for the two of you-"

Adrien holds up his hand, "No, don't worry, don't even think of it like that, don't treat me," he sighs, "just, treat me as a friend, please. Not _Mr. Agreste_ , just like," he pauses, "like the past 10 years never happened."

Marinette stops eating, studying him slightly. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It's not your fault." He hunches forward in his seat. "I'm just tired. Being away from Paris, away from people who knew me before I took over the company... it was a lot, it still is. Of course, I basically grew up under the eye of the press, and my father, but that was nothing compared to now."

He stares off into a corner of the room, unfocused, "I needed to come back, though. Something was calling me back." He unconsciously twists his ring and looks up at Marinette. "I shouldn't be dumping all of this on you; it's very inconsiderate of me."

A gentle smile pulls at her lips, "It seems like you deserve a little time to act 'inconsiderate'."

"What?" He straightens up in his seat.

She looks him in the eye, "No one is going to judge you here. No scrutiny. No press. You need some time where, maybe, you don't have to think before you speak, just say what you want in the moment."

He feels his heart skip a beat. "You're right," he breathes, seemingly in awe of the concept. He twists his ring.

She takes another bite of her sandwich, "You're right, too. There are people here in Paris that genuinely care about you, as a person- Alya, Nino, me..." she feels the blush threatening to fill her cheeks, "and pretty much everyone from school" she finishes.

He nods, smiling at her, "I can feel it. Just being in this city is a relief to me, being with friends," His smile falters, "But it also reminds me how much I've changed, how much I've missed." He shakes his head, "Nino and Alya were showing me pictures from their wedding, and of Manny, and I felt so bad for missing those moments."

"I know that they understand, that it's not your fault." Marinette leans in, "You can't stop the passage of time."

"But I could have made different choices," his eyes linger on her for a moment, "not cut myself off from everyone after my father was arrested." He states.

"We didn't exactly reach out either," she admits, "I, or, no one knew how to help you. We let you cut us off when we should have been with you all along." Her voice shakes slightly at the memory.

Adrien takes a deep breath, "We all have regrets, I guess." He looks away and smiles. "I should really get going," He stands slowly, "I'll keep everything you said in mind while I'm in town. Maybe I'll have to visit more."

"You really should." Marinette blurts out, pressing her lips together in regret.

He nods, "I will." He starts walking towards the door, "Take care of yourself. Please," he adds genuinely.

She stands suddenly, "Adrien!", she calls out.

He turns around in the doorway, "Yeah?"

Her hands clench together, "Just, uh, thanks again, for this." She motions towards the food.

He smirks, almost sensing the unsaid words, "Text me if you need anything. Food, company, anything." He says before closing the door behind him and waving goodbye.

"Bye," Marinette whispers as the door closes.

Nearing nine o'clock, Marinette locks up the doors to the empty boutique.

Her phone chimes inside her pocket. She sees a text from Alya, of simply ' _!_ '.

Marinette replies as she starts walking towards the elevator, ' _What is it?_ '.

Alya texts back instantly, " _There was a Chat sighting! Chat Noir! A real one!_ "

Marinette freezes, stopping right before the elevator, a million thoughts running through her head. ' _Are you sure?_ ', she texts back once her self-induced trance is broken. She swipes her card and gets on the elevator to her loft, her foot tapping anxiously all the way up.

Alya sends a link to the, mostly inactive, Ladyblog; only really serving as an archive after Ladybug and Chat Noir were no longer needed, until now.

The link led to the media feed page of the blog, where there were five new posts about seeing Chat vaulting over rooftops. ' _I think this is the real deal_ ' Alya adds, ' _I can still spot a real hero a mile away_ '.

The elevator opens to her apartment and she runs over to the windows that overlook the streets. Her eyes scan the rooftops the best she can from her vantage point. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she catches a glimpse of the all too familiar silhouette. Her throat tightens.

She racks her brain on how to wrap up this conversation with Alya. ' _That's cool. I'm gonna turn in though, really tired_.'

' _I'll keep you updated! gnight_ ', Alya replies.

Marinette tosses her phone onto the couch as Tikki flies out. "Marinette, do you think it's really him?"

She paces back and forth, glancing out the window, "I-I think it is. Why would, - how, - you think someone's in danger? That Hawkmoth is back? Is someone Akumatized?" She runs back to the window, looking for any signs of a fight.

Tikki flies to her side, "I think we both know there's only one way to find out for sure," she hints.

Marinette looks wide-eyed at her Kwami, "Are you serious? We promised Master Fu we'd only transform again if the city really needed us again!"

"As far as you know, Chat Noir seems to think he's needed."

"I can't believe you're actually trying to convince me to, what, become Ladybug again?" she answers, waving her arms around, flustered.

"I think you'll find that it's just like riding a bike," Tikki encourages.

Marinette holds her arms still, trying to center herself, closing her eyes, "If there's no real danger, I think Master Fu would understand the...misunderstanding."

Tikki zooms around her, "So, I think what you want to say is..." she says expectantly.

Marinette opens her eyes, "Tikki, spots on!"

Tikki flies into her earrings and Marinette transforms in a burst of light.

The familiar red and black suit replaces her work clothes; she walks over to a mirror and touches her mask, "Oh my god..." She looks over herself, running her hands over her arms. She picks up her yo-yo and spins it around experimentally, finding all her muscle memory intact.

She takes a deep breath and exhales it slowly.

She makes her way up to the rooftop, not feeling the wave of nausea she expected when she looks over the edge. Marinette flips open her communicator and sees Chat's location.

Her yo-yo zings out, and she begins to soar through the night sky; her mind eases, gaining all the confidence back from all those years ago.

She tries to remain unseen. Seeing one superhero return may be a fluke; but seeing two return? She didn't want to cause any false alarms before she could confirm any reason for Paris to worry.

Her heart pounds with excitement as she flies from roof to roof across Paris. She lifts her face to the stars, breathing in the crisp night air.

She approaches the Palais de Chaillot, which overlooks the Eiffel Tower. She silently lands on top of a nearby roof and approaches the cat dangling his legs over the side of the building.

Chat's ears perk up and he whips around to see Ladybug. His mouth hangs open in awe, "Fancy meeting you here, M'lady."

She freezes; her heart skips a beat looking into his glowing green eyes.

She shakes the feeling loose. "What are you doing up here?" She asks plainly, standing over him.

"Taking in the view." He stretches and pats the area next to him, "Join me."

Ladybug sighs, "You know what I mean." She bends down but doesn't sit, "Is Paris in trouble? Is Hawkmoth akumatizing people again?" She asks sarcastically, pretty sure she knew the answer at this point.

Chat senses this. He presses his lips together, "I just needed a break, an unaccounted for break," he looks out towards the Eiffel Tower, "a break from life."

Ladybug straightens up and sighs, resigning to sitting next to him, "I think I know how you feel." They stare off over the top of Paris. "I forgot what this felt like," she reminisces.

"I thought I remembered what this was like," he turns his gaze towards her, "but I was wrong. It's so much better."

They stay there, simply breathing together, taking in the view.

After the initial moment passes, Ladybug clears her throat, "So, still in Paris? You never left?" she folds her hands in her lap, trying to deal with the slightly awkward bubble she feels rising inside her.

Chat shakes his head, still looking ahead, "I'm actually just visiting."

"Oh,"

"You uh, ever get with that guy you had a crush on when you were a kid?" Chat asks nonchalantly.

Ladybug leans away from him suddenly, eyebrows raised "I can't believe you just asked that," she can't help but chuckle to herself anyway.

He smirks, "Just wondering,"

She rolls her eyes, "I... never did. He's actually engaged, currently, to someone that's not me." She tries to keep her tone light-hearted.

He sighs, "Well, it's his loss...and mine", he winks.

She scoffs, nudging him, "You really haven't changed at all."

"Well," he tilts his head to the side, "I'm actually soon-to-be-wed, myself."

Ladybug blinks in surprise, "Oh, wow, congratulations. Seriously, congrats," she leans in and wraps an arm around his shoulders for a one-armed hug.

"Thanks," he smiles. "I wish I could invite you to the wedding, you and your plus one."

She laughs, "Thanks for the offer. I don't really have time for weddings, or even dating, at this moment anyway. Kind of a 'married to my work' sorta thing." She shrugs it off, diverting the subject from herself, "Your fiancé, what are they like?"

Chat hesitates a moment too long, "Oh, she's, she's great, really great,"

Ladybug smiles genuinely, "I'm glad. I'm really happy for you." She says softly.

He mirrors her smile, "Thank you."

Silence hangs in the air momentarily as Chat's mind churns. "But," He blurts out, breaking the silence, "but I think I may be making a mistake."

Ladybug's eyebrows furrow, "'A mistake'? What do you mean?"

"I, I don't know if I can go through with it anymore." He leans over and puts his head in his hands.

"'It'? The wedding?! Chat why? You just said she's great!" Her eyes harden, "This better not be because of me." She says sternly under her breath. She starts to stand up, "I knew I shouldn't have come here, I'm not going to be a part of this-"

Chat catches her wrist in his hand. "Please stay," he pleads, "this isn't because of you, I promise." Ladybug looks down on him, his eyes distressed, "There's no one else I can talk to about this."

She pauses, trying to take in the situation, before replying, "Alright. Start from the beginning." She carefully sits back down.

He sighs with relief, a silent thank you. "This, _dilemma_ , is kinda why I came out here. Needed to clear my head, remove myself from the situation." He looks over at her, "Doesn't hurt that I thought there'd be an off chance I'd get to see an old friend,"

Ladybug smiles.

"Anyway, like I said, I'm just visiting. And I ran into an old friend earlier this week. And, and she just reminds me of everything that life could be."

She shrugs, "Well, the grass is always greener, as they say." She comments, not really wanting to steer him either way.

He shakes his head, "It's more than that. Being around her, it's like realizing I've been stumbling through the darkness and my life could have ended up a lot different from now, if only I had opened my eyes sooner."

She looks at him, a bit dumbfounded, "You're serious?"

He nods, "Believe me, I'm not normally that kind of guy, I'm not trying to be." He straightens up, "Even if she rejected me, I would still break off the engagement." He raises to his feet and starts pacing, "It feels like I've been on autopilot for a while now. Ever since we caught Hawkmoth, since I graduated, since I was assigned my job, nothing has made me feel anything real, until I came back to Paris. And she is just the embodiment of feeling home."

Ladybug blinks in amazement, having never seen Chat Noir like this, "Do you love her?" she mused, watching him pace.

He stops, gazing out over the city, taking it all in, "I think I always have, in a way. It just took me this long to realize it."

She nods, "I'm not going to tell you what you _should_ do, but I think you already know what you _have_ to do."

He holds out his hand and helps her to her feet. "Thank you, for everything." He pauses, still holding her hand, "I feel like we never had a proper goodbye."

"We didn't," she whispers, looking up at him.

Chat smirks, "I guess, I just never wanted _this_ to end."

"Then, let's not let it." Ladybug ventured.

His eyes narrow, "What do you mean?"

Ladybug backs up and throws her yo-yo into the air, "Lucky Charm!"

A small spotted notebook and pencil fall into her hands. She flips it open and starts writing something.

Before Chat could ask, she rips out the paper and folds it, handing it to him, "Don't get any ideas, but, here's my number, my real phone number."

He holds the folded paper between his fingers, "You're really doing this?"

"Well we've already broken one rule tonight, I don't see why we can't _text_ each other as friends." She hands him the notebook.

A slightly mischievous smile comes on his face, "Seems like you too have changed, Bugaboo", he teases as he writes his own number down, folds it, and hands it to her.

She throws the notebook into the air, "Miraculous ladybug!" She recites as it disappears into thin air.

"Does this mean we may meet again?" He intones, bowing slightly to his partner.

She playfully curtsies back, "Perhaps. Maybe next time you don't get seen by everyone in Paris."

He nods, "That's fair, you got me." He stands on the edge of the roof, "So this is only a 'goodbye, for now'." He salutes before vaulting himself into the night.

She waves him off as he blends into the night.

Chat leaps in through his old bedroom window and detransforms. He falls back onto his bed and sighs. He holds Ladybug's number in his hand, still folded.

"So, should I start planning your funeral for when you break up with Chloe?" Plagg zooms up next to him.

He opens his mouth to counter, but realizes he's right, "I guess so."

"You gonna lock me back up? Like an old relic?" Plagg chides him, his paws on his hips.

He shakes his head, "Never again." He rolls over to his stomach and holds Plagg in his cupped hands, "I'm sorry, you know; I just thought I needed to protect you."

"Protect me? Or was Mr. Adrien-boss-man just too busy for me?"

"A little bit of both I suppose." He hugs him close, Plagg only resisting a little before giving in.

The door to his room bursts open. Plagg immediately finds a place to hide and Adrien stuffs Ladybug's number into his jacket pocket.

"Adrien!" Chloe shouts and sees Adrien sitting up on his old bed. "What are you doing in here? You've been gone all day, haven't answered my messages, and just now, I heard you talking to yourself in here." She marches over and leers above him.

He maintains eye contact with her, not giving into her domineering energy. "Chloe, I need to talk to you, regarding the wedding-"

"Your suit is so wrinkled. What have you been up to, seriously?" She unbuttons his suit jacket and eases it off of him. "I'll have this sent to the cleaners right away, Adrikins. I want you to wear this one in the engagement shoot tomorrow. Now tell me where you've been all day."

"Chloe-"

"You had lunch with those people from school, didn't you? If you're going to come back in this state, I advise you limit the time you spend with the common folk."

"Chloe."

"Well the damage is done." She starts to walk towards the door, "I'll make sure this jacket is just like new by morning."

"Chloe I'm calling off the wedding." He says sternly, standing in the doorway behind her.

"That's really funny, Adrikins" she brushes off.

He follows her into the hall, "I'm serious, I won't marry you."

"How about you go wash up and I'll meet you in bed in a bit." She insists through a forced smile as she walks down to the foyer, a folded piece of paper in her fist.

"I thought he would text me by now." Marinette sighs, checking her phone the next day before returning to her work.

"Maybe he thinks Ladybug would text him first, since you came up with this idea." Tikki remarks, munching on a cookie on the corner of her desk.

Suddenly her phone starts to ring.

She snatches it, "Unknown caller. Do you think-?"

"Either way, you should probably answer." Tikki points out.

She nods and picks up, "Hello?"

"You skank! I knew it! I knew Adrien was hiding something, being manipulated!" Chloe growls through the phone.

"Chloe?" Marinette's mind struggles to catch up to what's happening.

"Surprised I found out about you? Huh? Thought you could get past me? Whoever you are, Adrien is not available for the taking, he is marrying _me_! Your mind games may have led him astray this far, but I refuse to let him go without a fight." She hisses.

"I'm a very powerful woman," she continues, "I have ways of making your life miserable if you do not keep. your. distance." The line cuts out.

Her phone hums as she struggles to comprehend what Chloe threatened at her.

A knock at her office door makes her jump. Adrien peeks his head in, "Thought I might find you here; working on a Saturday."

She steps out from behind her desk, still clutching her cell phone, "I think you should leave."

He hesitates from taking another step, "W-why?"

"I'm not quite sure, but I'm asking you to leave." She keeps her eyes down, unable to look at him.

"Marinette," he strides in and takes her hand in his, "please tell me. Why are you acting like this?" He begs.

Her eyes gaze unfocused in the space between them, "Chloe, she called my cell, told me to stay away from you." She looks up at him, "Does she think there's something going on between us? How does she know we've been hanging out?" A bit of panic rising in her voice.

He shakes his head slowly in disbelief, "I'm not sure. But I think I know why she may feel threatened," his eyes wander from her face, "I told her I want to cancel the wedding."

Marinette's eyebrow raises, "Like, change it to a different month?"

He shakes his head, "No, no, like, _cancel_. As in, I broke up with her."

She looks at him in disbelief, "Adrien, why, why would you-"

"Because I love _you_ " he breathes, his eyes locked on her.

She gives into his gaze before she starts to squirm under it, looking away, "This isn't happening. I can't, I won't be the reason, the mistress, oh I can see the headlines now," She tries to break her hand from his grasp, which he obliges to.

She backs away from him, "It's been nearly 10 years since we last spoke before this week, don't you think you need to reassess some things?" She pleads.

"I can't let time pass me by anymore." He keeps his distance, "I'm not asking you to say you love me back; just that you'll give me a chance, to forget what anyone else will think."

"Who said I don't love you back?"

Adrien's eyes light up, but Marinette keeps her head down.

"I've loved you, ever since that rainstorm. I thought I would grow out of it, this silly _crush_ , after high school... after you left Paris... after you got _engaged_ , and it makes me feel like a horrible person" she finally looks up at him, her eyes getting puffy, "because I couldn't."

Adrien quickly closes the distance between them and embraces her, leaving no space for doubt. "I should have realized sooner, seen what was right in front of me." His head bows, leaning into her, "You showed me that I deserve better, to make choices for me. To be happy."

She holds him tight, as if letting go would result in realizing this moment was just a dream. "I've always wanted that for you, whether I was a part of your life or not." She confides, batting away any tears forming.

He smiles warmly, "Well, you're in my life now, and I think it's gonna be harder this time to get me out of it."

Marinette hums contently, finally fully giving into the idea that her dream is her new reality.

After rocking there a few moments, she tilts her head up to him, "What now? What do we do about Chloe?"

He kisses the top of her head, "Don't worry about her. I'll handle her, and the press. I still don't understand why Chloe thought I was seriously seeing someone else while I was still with her." He puts his hands in his pockets, suddenly making a connection, "The number..." he murmurs to himself.

"'Number'?" Marinette echoes back in confusion, leaning against her desk as she watches him.

He nods, thoroughly checking his pockets, "Yeah, a phone number I, uh, received yesterday, she must have thought it was another woman I was cheating on her with..."

"But, then she called _that number_ , and _I_ picked up? Whose number was it supposed to be?" She asks curiously.

He sighs, recollecting the contents of his pockets, "Uh, another good friend of mine..." his brow furrows in thought, he slowly looks over at Marinette, "who I ran into yesterday... unexpectedly." He cocks his head, "Did you, by chance, give out your cell number to anyone? Any guys?"

After processing this revelation, Marinette's eyes slowly grow wide, and concerned. "I... I... don't, remember..." she states unconvincingly, looking away.

Adrien smirks and wraps his arms around her from behind. He leans forward and whispers in her ear, "One last rule to break, M'lady,"

Her lips part slightly, moving without words; until finally her voice returns, "C-chat Noir?"

He practically purrs with satisfaction, "Aaand with that, I think we just cracked a few cold cases, Bugaboo." He gently places a kiss on her cheek.

"I can't believe this." She whispers to herself, still in a bit of shock, but no longer resisting him.

"It's always just been you and me, the universe pulling us together..." He rocks them side to side, "It all makes sense now."

Marinette's mind plays back every memory of Chat and Adrien, finding that all the pieces fit, "How did we not realize we were who we were?"

Adrien chuckles, "Maybe it comes with the mask, infinite face-blindness."

"So, you, Chat, were talking about me, Marinette, last night?" She asks, her mind still trying to catch up.

He nods and turns her around in his arms so they're facing each other, "Thanks for the advice". He tilts her chin up slightly, cupping her cheek, "May I kiss you, Marinette?"

Her mind stops reeling, his words bringing her to the present. "Yes" She breathes.

As their lips touch, a jolt of energy runs through her veins. The kiss is seemingly brief, but filled with passion and longing.

As they part, Adrien is only aware of the blush on Marinette's cheeks and the thudding inside his own chest.

"I've never felt like this with anyone before. I could just marry you right now," He confesses.

She takes a step back, "You still have to deal with a steaming Chloe. How would that seem to people if you broke off one engagement and immediately married me." She retorts, trying to stay logical, even though the other half of her mind was ready to run to the nearest court house.

His shoulders slouch a bit, "You're right, as usual. I should probably go straighten things out with her." He kisses her again and reluctantly walks towards her office door. "You probably have the rest of the day free, now that you're not planning Chloe's wedding anymore."

' _Maybe I should start planning ours,_ ' she thinks to herself, a drunken smile manifesting on her lips at the thought. She nods.

"I'll be back as soon as possible." He promises.

"Bye, Kitty," she breathes out as Adrien leaves, catching one last glace at her. She feels her knees wobble underneath her. Tikki quickly flies out and pushes Marinette's chair under her right before she collapses. "Ohhh, Tikki, what just happened?"

"Fate." She squeaks.

Marinette sighs contently, closing her eyes and leaning her head back in bliss.

The sound of her office door opening stirs her, "Adrien?"

"Chloe?" Adrien pockets his keys as he looks around the foyer of his house. "Chloe, I know you're home. Please don't make this harder than it already is."

Chloe appears at the top of the stairs, staring down at him, "Adrikins, home so soon?" She coos.

His eyes narrow, "We need to talk. You need to listen to me."

"Oh, I heard you loud and clear, Adrikins. When you said we were through. That you were leaving me for some _slut_ you just met." She seethes, her teeth clenched at the end.

"I never said-"

"You didn't have to." She begins her decent down the staircase, pulling out the folded piece of paper, "I gave her a proper talking to, nonetheless."

"Chloe, I never cheated on you. Nothing happened before I called off the wedding." Adrien defends, standing his ground.

She stops a few steps from the floor, " _You_ can't call off our wedding, Adri _kins_ , don't you understand?" She holds up the paper, "One of the great things about technology, really," a devilish smirk crosses her previously cold face, "everything is traceable." She flicks the paper at him, it slowly drifts to the floor between them.

His eyes travel from the paper on the ground, up to her twisted face. "What did you do?" He asks incredulously.

"Nothing you can prove." She starts her way back up the stairs, "I warned her, Adrikins. I did. It's too bad _you_ had to bring her back into this."

She turns back and leers at him, "I guess we'll just have to find a new wedding planner."

Adrien's breath catches in his throat. He runs up the stairs and cuts her off, " _What did you do_?! Call off whatever you have planned now!" He demands, all the while trying to keep himself from trembling with fear for Marinette.

She raises an eyebrow, "Say the wedding is back on. Tell me that we will be wed, and then _maybe_ I'll think about stopping what's been set in motion."

He shakes his head, "No." He start to back down off the stairs, "I will never marry you. You're not the person I thought you were." He crosses the foyer and opens the front door.

"Then you haven't been paying attention." He hears her say as he shut the door behind him.

He runs around the side of his house, "Plagg! Transform me!"

In a flash of green, he shoots out over the streets of Paris, making a bee line for Marinette's boutique.

He opens his communicator, "Please, please, please," he prays, but doesn't pick up.

Chat forces himself to keep his head clear, battling all the horrible things that could be happening to Marinette. His eyes blur over with tears. He wipes them away without missing a step.

His heart stops when he spots a cloud of billowing smoke rising ahead of him. He pushes himself faster.

The sound of fire engines ring in his ears. He touches down in the street as firefighters form a barrier around the enflamed boutique. The heat radiating off the building singes his face.

" _It's too dangerous_ ", " _Stay back!_ ", " _Is there anyone inside?_ ", " _It's Chat Noir!_ "

The voices of the firefighters and onlookers penetrate his dazed state.

"I'm coming, Marinette." Chat whispers to himself. He takes a step back before getting a running start, throwing himself through the already shattered front windows.

He keeps his head down, his eyes squinting through the smoke. He covers his mouth and nose with one arm and feels his way through the smoke with the other. He tries to take a deep breath but feels the smoke string his throat, "Mar _-cough-_ Marinette!?" He calls out blindly, trying to yell above the crackling roar of the fire.

Chat blinks hard, his eyes watering from the heat and smoke.

A small red blob comes into his vision, "Chat Noir! Over here!" A tiny voice squeaks out, "Hurry!"

He pushes his way past desks and tables already blackened with soot, avoiding the areas where the ceiling has caved in, following the floating red blob.

He coughs hard as he reaches the doorway to Marinette's office, leaning against the frame, trying to catch his breath.

Unable to see through the smoke, he gets down on the floor and squints, spying the vague shape of a body on the floor opposite him. "M-marinette, can you hear me?" He calls out as he crawls towards her. He tries to blink away the soot in his eyes as he nears her. As his eyes focus, he realizes that she's not moving.

His heart drops as he tries to check her breathing, not picking up anything.

"Chat!" Tikki cries, directing his attention to Mari's ankle, handcuffed to her desk.

He crawls over, fighting back real tears, "Ca-cataclysm!" He croaks, disintegrating the pair of handcuffs.

Coughing, he moves to a kneeling position, smoldering papers and sketches all around him. He scoops up Marinette, holding her motionless body close to his chest.

He gets to his feet, still crouching to avoid the worst of it. Tikki flies out in front of him, guiding him through the now almost unnavigable first floor.

"This way!" She cries, leading him to a backdoor.

Chat's heart pounds as he dodges his way across the floor, fighting his way through the smoke and debris.

In one final push, he bursts through the backdoor, the smoke pouring out behind him. He struggles for a clean breath, gasping, coughing.

Once he catches his breath, as best as he can, he leaps up onto a rooftop a few buildings down from the remains of the boutique. He stumbles on the landing but regains his footing.

He looks down at Marinette, her head cradled against his chest; eyes closed, lips slightly parted. Her normally pale complexion taking on a slight blue-ish hue.

He lays her down on the roof, checking her breathing again. Nothing.

Not giving into panic, he starts performing CPR. "Please, please, please…" he murmurs as he starts compressions. He tilts her chin up and breathes deeply into her lungs. Her chest rises but falls on its own volition.

He repeats…

And repeats…

And repeats…

He smooths back her charred hair as he breathes into her again. "Please…" he whispers, as their lips part, the light draining from his eyes, "Don't leave me…"

He repeats.

One last set of compressions. He leans down and attempts to breathe life back into her, giving her every last bit of air that he has.

He watches her chest fall in dismay.

No longer able to hold back the sobs, his body shakes from their release. He pulls her head onto his lap, holding her hand. "I'm sorry" he wails, "I shouldn't have come back, I was stupid to think that I could," he kisses her hand softly, trying to memorize everything about this feeling. "I love you."

Suddenly, he feels her finger move against his palm.

He inhales sharply, then noticing her chest rise and fall, struggling for shallow breaths.

"Mari, can you hear me?" He begs, "Squeeze my hand, squeeze my hand if you can hear me."

Her fingers weakly grasp at his hand, but it's enough to make Chat the happiest man in Paris. "You're going to make it, you're gonna be just fine, Bugaboo." He picks her up in his arms and kisses her forehead.

The firefighters douse the last of the flames as Chat leaps down from above with Marinette in his arms. "She's alive" He says gratefully, handing her off to a paramedic.

A few onlookers clap and try to get Chat's attention as he watches Marinette get loaded onto an ambulance and drive away.

" _I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come back…_ "

A familiar voice fades in and out of the fog clogging Marinette's mind.

" _I love you…_ "

'Adrien?' She feels a sharp sting in her chest, burning from the smoke. Her hand twitches from the sensation.

" _Mari, can you hear me…squeeze my hand…_ "

She struggles to gain control over her own hand, easing her muscles into moving, feeling the weight of a hand against hers.

She feels a kiss on her forehead. The weightlessness of flying through the air.

" _She's alive…_ "

Her body is shifted to a solid surface. The sound of ambulance doors closing, and a heart monitor, which lulls her back into a fog.

Adrien knocks on the hospital room door, "Hello?"

An older woman nurse looks up from a clipboard, in front of Marinette laying silently in the bed. "Yes, dear?"

He takes a step into the room, "I just wanted to check in with how she's doing…" he says, his voice a bit raspy from the smoke.

The woman nods, "Well she's stable now. A few burns, trying to get oxygen to those lungs as best we can."

He looks over the nurse's shoulder as she adjusts the clear oxygen mask over Marinette's face. She's been cleaned up, soot washed from her skin and hair, dressed in a hospital gown. Bandages patch her arms and one on her cheek, from what he can see. An IV drips next to her bed.

"She's been in and out of consciousness. I'm sure she'll come around soon." The nurse remarks.

"Thank you," he says, pulling up a chair and holding Marinette's hand on the bed.

"I heard Chat Noir pulled her out of that burning building uptown. You should be thanking him." She says before leaving the room and closing the door behind her.

Adrien sighs, "Oh I will," he mutters under his breath. His eyes grow heavy, they close, and he catches a few moments of rest; but he's startled awake when he feels his hand being squeezed.

His head jerks up and he locks onto Marinette's bug blue eyes. He kisses her hand gently, "How are you feeling? Do you need anything?"

She opens her mouth, her voice is dry and raspy, "I-I'm f-fine. You don't s-sound too good yours-self,"

"I've been worse." He shrugs with a sad smile, "I'm sorry. I dragged you into this and now…Chloe, god, I'll make sure she pays."

She squeezes his hand again, "Don't focus on t-that," she insists, "You saved me."

He smirks, "Chat Noir saved you, Bugaboo. I know it's easy to mix us up," he jokes. He coughs and resumes, "I told Chloe to pack her things, that I never want to see her again. I think she actually listened to me for once." He shakes his head in disbelief. "And don't worry, I'll have a new boutique for you ASAP, bigger and better than the old."

"You don't have to," she replies, gaining a bit of strength.

"Well, my future wife deserves only the best." He winks.

She scoffs, "Did I agree to marry you in the middle of the fire and forget?"

He shakes his head, "No, I'm joking-"

"Because the answer would still be yes."

He stares at her incredulously, "You're just full of surprises today, aren't you?" He leans over and lifts her oxygen mask and gives her a quick kiss. "But this doesn't count. I'll properly propose when there's a bit less drama in our lives."

"There'll always be drama for you, Kitty." She jests, coughing out a laugh.

He rolls his eyes, "I have a feeling you're right."

Marinette sighs deeply, "I love you"

"I love you too"

~ 1 Year Later ~

There's a knock at the door. Marinette looks up from her desk and smiles.

"We're closing early, remember?" Adrien greets, "All our employees have left, we should too. After all, we're the ones who'll need the extra time." He walks over to her desk and kisses the diamond ring on her finger.

"I just had a few final things to look over," she assures, closing a file on her desk. She stretches and stands, laying her head on his chest, "I can't believe it's tomorrow."

He wraps his arms around her as they sway to silent music, "By this time tomorrow, you'll be Marinette Dupain-Cheng-Agreste. Quite the mouthful for a little lady" he teases.

"It's everything I am, everything I love." She pecks him on the cheek before gathering her things.

They walk together out of her office, past a charred pigeon hat, and out onto the streets. As she gets into the passenger seat of their car, she looks back at the sign above the door, 'DC&A'.

She holds Adrien's hand as he drives them home along the Paris streets, the sun just beginning to begin its decent towards the horizon. "It's supposed to rain tomorrow," she gently intones, a smile in her voice.

He laughs softly to himself, "How perfect. Maybe you can finally give me my umbrella back?"

They both laugh lightheartedly. As it dies down, Marinette sighs out, "Silly Kitty".


	2. Part 2

~ A Few Months After the Fire ~

"Alright, open your eyes..." Adrien says excitedly as he and Marinette stand on the sidewalk together.

Marinette uncovers her eyes and her mouth drops, reading the sign above the door, "DC&A, as in Dupain-Cheng and Agreste?" she comments, slightly amused.

He puts an arm around her, "I had to justify it to my financial team somehow. But don't worry, it's all yours and you can run your business however you want." He assures. "Wanna go inside?"

She nods, "Of course!"

He immediately scoops her up in his arms. Marinette's laugh chimes out as she wraps her arms around his shoulders. He carries her through the front door of her newly rebuilt bridal boutique, kisses her briefly, then sets her down.

"Adrien..." she says in awe, taking in all the new equipment, desks and chairs, and supplies. "This is amazing... it's better than I could've ever imagined," she blots the corner of her eye with the sleeve of her cardigan, "Thank you, Adrien."

He takes her by the hand, "You haven't seen the best part yet," he leads her towards the rear of the building, "Oh, and the bakery is still on the second floor like your old place, and I've contacted all your old employees and they all said they'd return."

"You really thought of everything," she remarks.

"I hope so. I had to do _something_ when visiting hours ended." He leads her to an office door with a glass encased, slightly singed, pigeon hat.

"Oh my god..." Marinette touches the glass, "they found it?"

He beams, "Yeah, one of the few things to survive, actually." He wraps his arm around her shoulder and pulls her close as she looks at the hat.

She smiles at an old memory, leaning her head against his chest.

After a moment, he whispers, "You wanna see your new office?"

Marinette dabs away another tear with her sleeve. "Yeah"

He pushes open the door and guides her in ahead of him. Wide eyed, she gazes upon the elegant detail and accents of color that catch her eye. Some of her designs are framed along the light, dusty-rose, colored walls. "Adrien..."

"Go sit at your new desk," he insists from behind her.

She walks cautiously over to her desk, as if the wrong move would end this dream-like state that she felt. She sits in her chair and looks up at Adrien across from her, surprised to find him on one knee, just inside the doorframe. "Adrien..." she breathes out, nearly inaudible, "are you..."

Adrien struggles to keep a big goofy grin off his face and to keep his heart from leaping out of his chest. "Marinette Dupain-Cheng, I love you. I loved you even before I knew I loved you. I can't change the past, but I was hoping to be a part of your future. Whether-"

"YES!" She cries, practically flinging herself over her desk, and falling onto her own knees in front of him.

He opens his arms as she falls into them, "Excuse you, I wasn't finished" he teases, feeling Marinette's body shake from emotion.

She bites her bottom lip, "Sorry, please continue," she giggles. She clears her throat, trying to gain composure but failing.

"Thank you." He pulls a red velvet ring box out of his jacket pocket, "Whether it's as your friend, husband, or partner in black leather," Marinette covers her mouth, stifling a laugh, "I don't ever want to leave your side." He opens the ring box and reveals a generous, but still modest, engagement ring. "Marinette, will you marry me?"

"YES!" She cries louder than before, throwing herself at him, causing them both to tumble to the floor. "Yes," she whispers more intimately as she lays on his chest.

They kiss as Adrien pushes them up into a seated position. He sighs dramatically, "Whew, for a second I thought you would turn me down."

Marinette shakes her head, a grin stretching from ear to ear, "Did you actually ever doubt me?"

"I would never, M'lady." He holds the ring between his index finger and thumb. "May I?"

She holds out her hand in response. He slowly slides the silver band up her finger, wanting to remember this moment. Adrien's mouth hangs open slightly, as he takes in the image of Marinette with his ring on her finger. He swallows hard and suddenly remembers to breathe.

"It's _purr_ fect," She effuses, kissing him passionately, her arms draping around his shoulders.

He lets out a chuckle between kisses, "Now this definitely feels like a dream I had once," he chides, and immediately gives into her.

~ Present Day ~

"Alya, it's fine," Marinette chuckles in front of a full-length mirror in the back of the church.

Alya tucks individual stray hairs back into Marinette's up-do. "You can't just look 'fine'. You gotta look ' _fiiiine_ '." She pulls out the bottom of the white satin dress, scanning for imperfections, "You only got one shot at this and the world is watching." She coaches.

"Don't remind me," she frets, trying hard not to think about the photographers and reporters waiting outside the church grounds, itching to get the first glimpse of Adrien Agreste and his new wife.

Despite Adrien's best efforts, Marinette did come across a few articles regarding their relationship. They seemed to realize quickly that they had both attended Francoise Dupont High as teens. Some articles portrayed this as a 'high school sweethearts' kind of story; while others tried to spin it so it seemed like Marinette had always been with Adrien, as a secret relationship since high school. Those articles made her throat tighten, unable to hide the mixture of contempt and vulnerability that came out of her in these situations.

She shakes the thought from her head, "But that doesn't matter. This is our day, and they can't take that away." She replies confidently.

Alya removes one final piece of dust from Marinette's gown, admiring the soft pink petals that flow from the bodice and down the train. Her own bridesmaid dress a matching soft pink. "I'm so happy you guys are finally getting married." She laughs to herself, "Remember all those crazy schemes we had in school to get Adrien to notice you."

"Oh my god, of course." She shakes her head in embarrassment, "What were we thinking,"

Alya comes up behind Marinette and leans over her shoulder, "We were thinking that you guys were meant to be together, and guess what, we were right all along." She holds Marinette's shoulders and shakes her excitedly.

She smiles and turns around to hug Alya, wrapping her arms around her tightly. "Thank you." She whispers.

"You're Adrien Agreste. What could go wrong?" Nino chides, sitting in a chair behind Adrien checking himself over in the mirror.

His hands brush off his pants for the 50th time, "I don't know. Probably nothing. I've never felt this way before." He spins around towards Nino, "I'm nervous, anxious? I'm not sure. There's nothing to worry about though."

Nino sighs, "I know the feeling, bro. I was the same when Alya and I tied the knot." He rises and crosses the room towards him.

"Really?" He asks, fidgeting with his hands.

"Totally, a total mess." He straightens Adrien's bow tie, "Right now, you're just Adrien. You've been 'just Adrien' your whole life; like how I used to be 'just Nino'." He guides to sit down in the chair. "Your soul can tell that change is coming. It's goin' all crazy trying to find out what's up.

"But," Nino continues, "when you see her," Nino looks off into the distance, his tone softening, "she's coming down the aisle, you feel your soul connect to hers. You feel whole. Your nerves are just a memory.

"When you walk out of here, you're not 'just Adrien'. You're the version of you that only exists when you share a soul with another person. You're complete." He pulls his attention back to Adrien who is sitting with his mouth slightly agape, seemingly enraptured by Nino's speech. "At least, that was my experience." He adds.

Adrien stands and pulls him in for a hug, "Thanks, man" he says genuinely.

Nino pats him on the back, "Any time, bro."

They separate and look over themselves in the mirror one last time. "I think I'm ready." Adrien breathes.

"Then let's have ourselves a wedding!" Nino cheers as they head out into the hallway.

A hush falls over the crowd as Adrien and Nino, with the other groomsmen, step out in front of the rows of pews. The officiant stands at the center, nodding towards Adrien, which he responds back with a silent nod as well.

Melodious music drifts in as the bridesmaids appear at the other end of the aisle. Alya leads the train of women, holding Manny in her arms as he shakes a small pillow which has the rings securely attached to it. The crowd has a collective 'aww' moment when they see the infant ring bearer.

Once they get situated at the front, there's a moment of silence.

The guests rise to their feet and gaze expectantly up the aisle.

Adrien feels his heart trying to leap out of his chest, growing anxious in this short breadth of time.

Then, the first note of a wedding march rings out. Everyone's eyes fixated as Marinette steps out onto the aisle with her father.

With all eyes on her, she glides in time to the music, her eyes only focused on Adrien.

When they lock eyes, Adrien feels everything, and everyone fall away, as if they're the only two people in the world. He feels a serenity wash over him. Nino tugs at Adrien's suit jacket when Adrien, a bit dazed, tries to step forward and meet Marinette halfway up the aisle. He blinks in realization of the situation, and sheepishly steps back in line. Nino shoots Alya a knowing look, and she smiles and rolls her eyes.

Marinette's father walks with her, arm in arm. He laughs silently, slightly squeezing her arm to remind her to breathe. Her eyes widen as she takes a breath, squeezing her dad's arm in thanks.

Tikki and Plagg watch from the rafters, out of sight of the guests.

"I never thought this day would come! It's finally happening!" Tikki squeaks excitedly, shaking Plagg.

Plagg scoffs, "Yeah, those hopeless idiots finally did it." He turns away from Tikki and quickly wipes a tear from his eye.

When Marinette reaches Adrien, he takes her hand and mouths "Wow", a slight smirk on his face. She turns her face to hide her blush as they position themselves before the officiant.

They motion for the guests to sit and the ceremony commences.

"We are gathered here today to celebrate the love that has blossomed between Adrien Agreste and Marinette Dupain-Cheng. A love that shows us that a partner can come from where we least expect it, and that _time_ is one of the most important factors to finding true love."

They continue, "Love is a balancing act. A give and take, a push and pull, but always returning to center. Finding _the one_ whose rhythm compliments yours, is like discovering a long-lost symphony that one the two of you can hear..."

Adrien and Marinette's hands stay linked between them throughout the ceremony. His thumb gently rubs the back of her hand. His eyes never leave her, wishing time would slow down so he could live in this moment forever.

"Do you, Adrien Agreste, take Marinette Dupain-Cheng, to love and to hold, in sickness and in health, for rich or for poor, as your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do" he swears.

"Do you, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, take Adrien Agreste, to love and to hold, in sickness and in health, for rich or for poor, as your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do"

"May we have the rings?" The officiant asks and Alya steps forward, having had them removed from Manny's grip. They hand Adrien Marinette's ring first, "If you have vows prepared, now is the time." They prompt.

He releases one of Marinette's hands and holds the silver, engraved, band between his fingers. "Marinette," he breathes out, trying to focus, "you've always kept me grounded. Whenever I would feel myself slipping away, you caught me. You always catch me." He shares a secret smile with her, which she returns. "I promise to strive to be worthy of your love, to be the man you deserve. To catch you when you fall. To love you forever." He slides the ring onto her finger, breathless.

The officiant hands Marinette Adrien's ring. "If you have vows prepared, now is the time."

She breathes out a shaky breath, a slight sniffle. Adrien holds her steady, giving her an encouraging smile. She takes a deep breath, looking from the ring to his eyes. "Adrien, you'll never know how much you mean to me. How much of my heart has only been full for you." She quickly wipes away a tear from the corner of her eye. "You're the one who has saved me, in more ways than one. I promise to be worthy of your love and worthy to love you in return. To love you forever." The smooth ring slides onto his finger with ease.

He holds her hand and brings it to his lips, kissing where her ring meets her knuckle.

The officiant smiles, "Then, it is my honor to now pronounce you hus-"

With a crash, the wall behind the officiant bursts inwards, into the church. People scream as debris shoots into the crowd and dust fills the air. Adrien puts his arm around Marinette, putting himself between the destruction and her, both of them buckling down to their knees.

Through the clouds of dust, a figure appears, coming into focus, someone floating above the pulpit on a cloud of white butterflies.

"What kind of wedding doesn't include the 'Does anyone object?' part?" A shrill voice exclaims, "That's not even fair."

Marinette squints up at the figure over Adrien's shoulder, "Chloe?"

Chloe descends a bit, her eyes narrowing as she focuses in on Marinette. A silver mask covers her face, allowing her burning blue eyes to show. Her purple suit is stylish yet demanding. A wicked smile crosses her face, "That's Miz Butterfly, to you." She outstretches her arms and bellows, "Fly, my Akumas!"

A swarm of glowing butterflies bursts through the opening in the wall. A panic ensues among the guests, everyone trying to make a break for the exit, swatting at purple butterflies, neither to any success.

Adrien jumps up, still keeping his arms around Marinette, "Everyone!" He calls out, trying to break his voice over the crowd, "Everyone try to keep calm!" He yells, but it's no use.

The butterflies faze into the guests' items. Suddenly the room full of frantic people is still and silent, waiting for instruction, with eyes glowing purple.

Adrien slowly turns around to face Miz Butterfly, keeping Marinette behind him. "Where did you get that Miraculous?" He asks sternly.

"You mean this? Your daddy's old plaything?" She touches the Miraculous broach pinned to her lapel. "Seems that you can get anything from an evidence lock-up, for the right price." She laughs darkly.

"What do you want?" He demands, his jaw clenching.

She holds her finger under her chin thoughtfully, "I just want a happy ending, Adrikins. Why don't you want that for me?"

"I, I do wish you were happy." He admits, "But I can't make you happy, not in the way you want."

Miz Butterfly's eyes narrow, focusing back on Marinette, who's eyeing Miz Butterfly angrily. "It's you." She sneers, "You're the reason Adrikins has turned from me. We were going to be happy! This should be _**my**_ wedding!"

The akumatized crowd lurches at them from behind, tearing Marinette from Adrien's side. Both of them held tightly in place by their brainwashed friends and family. They struggle to break free of the countless hands holding them back but only more guests join in.

She hovers down to Marinette, holding her face in her hand, "Ever since high school you've been in my way! Trying to steal Adrikins from me!" She pulls their faces together, just inches apart. "Now it's my turn to steal him from you." Miz Butterfly whispers menacingly.

"Get your hands off her!" Adrien shouts from behind her.

Miz Butterfly drops Marinette's face, and Mari continues to struggle against the akumatized army. "Please don't! Don't touch him!" Marinette barks at Miz B. "I'll do anything, don't take him away from me." Her voice bleeds into pleading, feeling herself start to get choked up, tears forming behind her eyes.

"Why? Because you're nothing without him?" Miz B mocks her.

She shakes her head, "Because I love him."

"And I love her!" Adrikins calls out, still fighting against the Akumas. "And I'll never love you."

Miz B rolls her eyes, "That may be true. But nothing I can't fix." She points to one of the akumatized, "You!"

The person steps forward, purple eyes still glazed over.

"I name you, Memory Worm!" Miz Butterfly shoots her arm out in the person's direction and they are immediately engulfed in a cloud of purple smoke.

When the smoke clears, Miz B picks up the akumatized person, now, a large purple worm, about the size of her arm. "You are nasty! But you'll get the job done," she sets it back on the ground and it starts to excrete a blue fog from its pores. It digs through the floor of the church, quickly disappearing beneath them.

Blue fog starts to seep up through the floor and the ground outside. "Get a good whiff, you two, and all your worries will fade."

"Mari!" Adrien calls out desperately, "Whatever happens, we'll find a way back to each other. I promise." The fog rising up to his hips.

"I promise too." Marinette says with shallow breaths, not wanting to breathe in the blue fog.

"Cute, but too bad you won't remember. No one will." Miz B floats above the rising cloud. "No one will remember anything about your relationship, not even a sickeningly sweet 'high school sweethearts' memory." She scowls, "So say your goodbyes. I promise there won't be any more 'hellos'."

The fog rises to their chins; other guests are already completely engulfed. Adrien and Marinette struggle to keep their chins up while still being restrained. "Talk to me, Mari, please."

Being shorter, Marinette starts to be consumed by the fog first, "I love you, Adrien. This isn't goodbye." She tilts her head back as far as she can to stay above the fog.

"I know. I love you too. Keep talking to me, don't let it take you." Adrien's voice strained from his effort to still break free.

Mari smiles, "This was the best day of my life. I'll never forget it. I'll never forget it. I'll never forget..." her voice fades away as her face dips below the fog.

"Marinette!" Adrien cries, struggling harder and harder, until the fog reaches his chin. He glowers up at Miz Butterfly floating above it all.

She smiles mischievously, "See you soon," she waves her fingers at him as he too is overtaken by the fog.

"Come in,"

Margie enters Marinette's office, "The last order of the day was sent out. I'm gonna send some of the drafters home, if that's alright with you."

Marinette barely looks up from her work, her face down on a pile of papers at her desk, "Yeah, no problem."

Margie hesitates by the door, "You wanna go out for drinks tonight? Some of the other girls and I were gonna meet up, since it's Friday. We could have a little fun?" She tries to encourage.

Marinette shrugs, "I still have final paperwork to do for the Agreste wedding, I should really get it done."

"Oh. But that reminds me," she ducks out of the office for a second and returns with a magazine, "your dress is on the front page of every magazine in Paris. Be proud."

Marinette takes the magazine in her hand. The cover is of Adrien Agreste and Chloe Bourgeois kissing in front of a chapel, petals floating down through the frame. She cracks a tiny smile, "I am, I am proud, but I'm just glad it's over, well, besides the paperwork." She shrugs, tossing the magazine to the corner of her desk.

"Well I'll let you get back to it then. See you Monday," she says as she closes the door to her office.

Marinette's smile fades as she gets back to her work.

A red blur zooms out from her desk, "Marinette! Marinette!" Tikki cries, flying all around her.

She sits up, dropping her pen, "Tikki? What's wrong?" She asks concernedly.

Tikki lands on her desk and tries to catch her breath. "A minute ago, we were at your wedding, but Chloe, Miz Butterfly, the Miraculous, Adrien-"

"Slow down," she cautions, "what is happening? Why did you say we were at my _wedding_?" Her eyes briefly glance over at the magazine cover.

Tikki flies onto Mari's open hand, "You were marrying Adrien when Chloe came in using the butterfly Miraculous and wiped all your memories, but Plagg and I were able to escape."

"Marrying Adrien? Agreste? I've barely talked to him." She remarks.

Tikki sighs, "Tell me what you know about him. What memories do you have of him?"

Mari's eyes narrow, thinking back. "We went to the same high school." She looks back at the wedding photo of him and Chloe. "He put gum on my seat on his first day, and I knew he was just another Chloe. I tried to avoid him as much as possible. He never even tried to explain himself," Her eyes turn slightly sad, "And then I did his wedding. He was too busy to come to the consultations, so it was just Chloe telling me what she wanted." She turns back to Tikki, "There's not much else to say."

Tikki is wide eyed, staring back at her, "We've got to fix this."

"Are you feeling alright? You don't have another Kwami sickness, do you?" Marinette inspects her small friend.

Tikki waves her off, "No, I'm fine!" she assures, "It's you and the rest of this city who need help." Her eyes suddenly light up, "What do you remember about Chat Noir?" she queries.

Mari leans back in her seat, her shoulders slightly tensing, "We fought akumas together for years. Haven't spoken to him since we got Hawkmoth, though. Why?"

Tikki relaxes a bit, "At least that seems the same" she mutters to herself. "You never found out his identity?"

"No, of course not." She swears. "What's with you, why are you asking me this stuff?"

Tikki flies up to her eye level, "I told you. Chloe used an Akuma to wipe Paris' memory of your and Adrien's relationship, so _she_ could marry him." Tikki lifts the magazine so it's facing Mari.

The corner of her mouth turns down slightly, "Okay...I guess I believe you?" She admits tentatively. "Only because I trust you." She redefines. "But why did you ask about Chat?"

Before Tikki could answer, the door bursts open.

Adrien stalks through the halls of his Paris home; he unconsciously fidgets with his wedding ring.

Plagg zooms up beside him, resting on his shoulder, "What? No honeymoon?" He chides.

Adrien continues down the hall, "It had to be slightly postponed, Chloe is working on a new trip for us." He says neutrally, no emotion in his voice.

"You, uh, feeling alright, bud? Shouldn't you have a post-wedding glow, or whatever you humans say?" He says, tugging on a strand of Adrien's hair.

He shrugs, "Yeah, I'm good." He looks down at his wedding band, "I'm just a bit tired. More like a post-wedding slump." He says, putting on a smile.

Plagg rolls his eyes, "Mmmhmm, yeah, so, what do you know of Marinette Dupain-Cheng?"

Adrien stops suddenly, scooping Plagg off his shoulder into his hands. "What did you say?" he eyes his Kwami.

Plagg doesn't make eye contact with him, "Marinette Dupain-Cheng. What do you know of her?" Adrien opens his mouth to protest but Plagg cuts him off, "Don't ask why. Just answer."

He's slightly taken aback, "Marinette? I think she was in a few of my classes in school? She was friends with Alya, who I knew through Nino." He looks away from Plagg, "I don't think she liked me because I was friends with Chloe."

Plagg sighs, "Yeah, that sounds about right," he shakes his head, "and by 'right' I mean, totally completely wrong!" He snaps.

Adrien drops him, "I don't have time for this." He stalks off towards his office.

Plagg catches up with him, "The reason you're a miserable poo head is because this isn't how things are supposed to be!"

Adrien closes his office door in Plaggs face.

Plagg groans, squeezing under the door as Adrien leans against the wall and looks out over the Parisian streets. Plagg sits on the frame of the window sill, "Okay... so, why did you marry Chloe?" He asks almost sincerely.

He doesn't respond to the question for a moment, but gives in, "She had been my only friend for a long time, and we're both in the industry; it just seemed inevitable, expected." He explains, never looking down at Plagg.

"I guess I understand, but what I'm sayin', and you gotta believe me, that there's like a parallel universe where you actually end up happy, and with the girl of your dreams!" Plagg encourages.

Adrien's eyes narrow, "Yeah, that's how the theory goes, infinite possibilities and all that,"

"But we used to be in that universe! This timeline is not what's supposed to happen to you! It was an Akuma-"

"Akuma?" Adrien cuts him off, "Hawkmoth, _my father_ , is in prison, there hasn't been an Akuma in nearly 10 years."

"Yeah, until Chloe got a hold of the butterfly Miraculous and wiped the whole city's memories!" Plagg starts getting in Adrien's face.

Adrien recoils from his persistence, "Why, why would she do that?"

"She was jealous! Why else? You broke off your engagement when you reunited with your true love..."

"Marinette?" He asks, finishing the sentence. He focuses back on the city, looking into the distance. "That doesn't sound like me. I would never drop a commitment like that." He states, losing ground with Plagg.

"Mmhmm, what if it was for Ladybug, for example?" He casually flies over to Adrien's desk.

He immediately looks to Plagg, following him, "Ladybug? We haven't spoken in years,"

"So, you do remember something after all," Plagg teases, resting on the back of Adrien's office chair. "And you still love her."

Adrien straightens up, "I mean, that was just an old crush, a childhood crush, what makes you think..." Adrien tries to convince, but meets the unmoved gaze of Plagg, "...I still love her,"

Plagg smirks, "You've still got it bad for her, and you know it. Why don't we pay her a visit? Talk over this Akuma business," He shrugs nonchalantly.

His eyes widen, "You know where she is?"

Plagg nods slowly, "The fastest way to show you is if you transform, which I know you wanna do..."

"Plagg, claws out!" Adrien shouts, and in a flash of green, Chat Noir appears in his place.

He checks his locator and sees a waypoint on the other side of Paris has been added. He rolls his shoulders before leaping out his office window into the sunset.

The waypoint leads him to a wedding boutique, with a familiar name; the interior lights dimmed for the night. Chat checks his map again and tries the door, finding it unlocked.

He cautiously walks towards the back of the boutique, keeping an eye out for any bystanders.

His ears perk up at the sound of a voice, leading him to a closed office door. He leans against the wall and listens: "-Only because I trust you. But why did you ask about Chat?"

A shiver runs up his spine at the mention of his name. He bursts into the office expecting Ladybug, but instead is stared at, wide-eyed, by a young woman with short black hair.

"Chat." She states, as if she was half-expecting him.

He clears his throat, his eyes darting around the room, "Sorry, I didn't mean to..." when he finally meets her gaze, something clicks, "Marinette?" He asks incredulously, shifting his weight.

"You remember me?" She returns the question, becoming hyper aware of the space and the silence around them.

Chat flashes a smile, "I was actually just thinking about you earlier," he says lightly, "weird coincidence,"

Marinette's face pulls in, "Oh. Well, coincidence, too; I was also just talking about you..."

His eyebrows furrow, "Okay, a bit weirder..." he admits.

"So, why are you here?" She asks, moving so the desk is between them.

"I, uh, was actually looking for Ladybug; guess I took a wrong turn or something," he looks down at the locator on his staff, attempting to reinterpret the location marked by Plagg.

Mari feels her cheeks grow warm, her hands grip the back of her chair. "Oh, well, sorry to disappoint," she says quickly, but then feels a tug on her shirt from behind her. She looks back while Chat is distracted, seeing Tikki gesturing wildly. Mari squints at her, unable to decipher what she's trying to communicate.

"My Kwami led me here. Told me he knew where she was...among other things," he puts his baton away dejectedly.

"Other things?" She inquires, trying to steer the conversation away from the topic of 'Ladybug'.

Chat leans up against the wall, shoulders slumped forward, "Yeah, but I wouldn't want to make you worry. I'm still processing what he said, myself." His gaze settles on a clearing on the floor between them.

"Try me." She steps out from behind her desk and rests against its front face.

His eyes focus back on her, "I guess it does concern you, after all." He clears his throat, "Apparently, all of Paris has had their memory wiped by an Akuma. So, everyone would forget..." his eyes shift around the room, settling back on the floor, "would forget that you, and Adrien Agreste , were in a relationship." He shifts his weight awkwardly, "I'm sorry if this seems out of the blue. I was hoping to consult Ladybug about this first before-"

"I remember you..." Marinette says to herself, but effectively cutting Chat off.

"What did you say?" Chat pushes off the wall to stand freely, taking a step towards Mari.

"She was concerned if I still remembered _you_ , after asking me about _Adrien_..." her words drift off in thought, almost forgetting about Chat standing right in front of her.

" _Who_ asked you about Adrien?" Chats voice lowers, cautiously crossing the room towards her.

Her eyes stay unfocused, deep in thought, "...Chloe wouldn't know our identities so the Akuma wouldn't affect them..."

His eyes widen, "I didn't mention Chloe, how do you know it's Chloe?" He asks, a little more urgent than before.

Now inches apart, Mari's eyes lock onto Chat's, shocked and desperate. "You're Adrien Agreste..." she whispers under her breath.

He takes a step back, but she catches his wrist, holding him in place. "Am I right?" She pleads, grasping for some concrete information in this mess.

His mouth hangs open as he stares at her. His mind a wreck from the accusation. He simply nods 'yes' in response.

Mari doesn't loosen her grip on him, her body struggling to keep up with her mind.

Something clicks into place in the midst of chaos in Chat's brain. "You're Ladybug." He states, the words flowing off his tongue without his conscious permission.

She nods, not exactly surprised by his revelation.

A smile blows wide across his face, he pulls her into a hug, practically lifting her off her feet; her arms loose at her sides as Chat envelops her. "This is...amazing," he says incredulously, pulling away to look down at her face. His smile fades when he sees her face still in a concentrated state.

"So, you know everything?" she asks, not meeting his eyes, "Regarding the...akuma? Chloe?"

Chat swallows hard, "I-I guess. So what do we do?"

"We...can ignore it." She suggests, backing away from Chat.

"Ignore it? What do you mean?" He asks solemnly, giving her her space.

She presses her lips together and shrugs, "I can't imagine a life where I, where _we_ , love each other, Adrien. We're completely different people." She puts on a sympathetic smile, "I think you feel the same way. Plus, you have Chloe, and you guys seem to belong together. It doesn't matter that she caused all this. Maybe this is how things are supposed to be." She rationalizes.

"You believe you're happier like this, than with me?" Chat asks, a little hurt. He detransforms, turning back into Adrien.

"Don't think of it like that... but yeah," She admits, realizing how it sounds. "I'm sure you're a great guy, but you can be a great guy with Chloe too. I just don't feel like I'd ever have room in my life for a relationship, especially one with you..."

"How can you say that when we were in the middle of _our_ wedding before the Akuma?" Adrien pleads.

She takes a breath, "That wasn't _me_ ; it was a different _me_. We know nothing about each other. Aren't you at least _content_ with this life? Why should we risk everything for a reality we can't remember?"

His mouth trembles slightly, trying to find words. "Marinette..."

Tikki zooms out of the desk, "Marinette, you're not being rational. I'm telling you that you loved Adrien more than life itself, you both said 'I do'!"

"Marinette," Adrien says gently, "please listen to me. I don't love Chloe. And I _can_ imagine loving you." He takes a step towards her. "I know it's hard, choosing happiness, especially in the face of the unknown. I've failed that choice all my life, but now I'm choosing to believe in my happiness, our happiness."

"You can imagine yourself loving Ladybug. That's all." She shakes her head, collapsing in on herself.

He freezes in his tracks, about an arms-length away from her. "But you _are_ Ladybug." He reaches out to her but retracts, not wanting to push the situation. "When will you realize that you're one and the same?"

She lifts her head up slightly, scanning him, trying to tell if he's genuine.

He takes a half step forward, "I spent years loving you and didn't know it. Please, give me a chance."

She leans her head back and closes her eyes, pressing her lips together, struggling to open herself to the whole situation, "Okay, fine." She opens her eyes and directs her gaze at him, "I guess I would be lying if I said I _never_ imagined Chat as more than a friend," she feels her cheeks burn on the inside.

Adrien scoffs playfully, "I can't believe it took more than a decade for you to say that to me."

"Don't let it go to your head, kitty." She warns, her shoulders relaxing.

"Oh I will," he grins, holding out his hand to her.

She looks at his outstretched hand. "Tikki, how do we defeat Chloe?" She addresses, ignoring Adrien's attempt at connection.

His hand falls to his side. Tikki speaks up, "We have to get the butterfly Miraculous back from Chloe."

Plagg flies out and chimes in, "Yeah, then Tikki and I can purify it and undo the bad things it was used for. Including erasing you ding-dongs' memories."

Marinette turns back towards Adrien, "You think you can act like you love her long enough to find where she's keeping the Miraculous?"

He nods, "I'll do my best."

"I can standby as Ladybug," she suggests, "if Chloe saw 'Marinette' hanging around she'd probably get suspicious."

"Hopefully I won't need the back up, but I'm glad you still got my back, partner." He holds up his hand for a fist bump.

Marinette rolls her eyes but returns the first bump with more-or-less enthusiasm.

"Awesome! So, I'll head home, and you can follow behind when you're ready." He instructs, heading out the office door with Plagg.

Once out of sight, she finally fully relaxes, sitting back in her chair. "Why him? Why Chat?" She covers her face with her hands.

Tikki flies closer to her, "I thought you trusted me?" She queries, a bit concerned with Marinette's reaction.

She lowers her hands, "Chat and I had a complicated relationship at best. And the most I know about Adrien is from spending countless all-nighters trying to plan his and Chloe's wedding, which now all seems pointless because this isn't even the right reality, or whatever, and I'm expected to believe he's, like, my _husband_ all of a sudden?!" She vents, putting her head down on her desk.

Tikki pats her head, "At least like a fiancée. You aren't actually married yet." She corrects, trying to break the tension.

Marinette shakes her head, still resting in her arms on the desk, "And I do trust you, Tikki, but it's a lot to take in right now."

"I promise you this will all be worth it, once we get that Miraculous back." Marinette gives a halfhearted smile. "Are you dating someone or something in this reality? What's wrong?" Tikki prods, slightly losing patience.

Mari sits up and shakes her head, "No, I've actually never dated _anyone_ before."

"Any crushes?"

She shrugs, "I guess, but not like I was obsessed with any of them, really." She smirks slightly, "I had basically accepted that I don't need anybody, relationship-wise, to be content. But then Adrien Agreste, of all people, turns out to be Chat and my fiancé? I think it's broken me." She lays her head back on the desk.

"But 'content' doesn't really mean 'happy'. And Adrien _will_ make you happy. You two have the strongest bond of any of the Chosen I've ever seen." Tikki confides, hovering near Marinette's head.

Marinette stands slowly, "Thanks," she holds Tikki and nuzzles her against her cheek. "Let's get that Miraculous. Spots on!"

It doesn't take long for Ladybug to catch up to Adrien, even with him being picked up by his driver. She stays low on the rooftops, jumping quickly between gaps.

The car pulls into the Agreste estate, Ladybug leaps over the fence, hiding out of sight of the windows.

Her communicator rings, she picks up and becomes connected to Adrien's phone so she can hear as he goes inside to confront Chloe.

Adrien enters the main atrium, he calls out "Chloe?" His voice echoing through the dim house.

She strides out, looking down on him from the top of the stairs. "Adrikins! Where have you been? I just finished booking our flight to L.A., we're leaving tomorrow!" She says in a chipper tone, gracefully making her way down to him.

"That's wonderful," He outstretches his hand and she takes it, pulling her into his arms.

"I'm already packed and everything. I was in the middle of packing your outfits for you to make sure we don't clash." She kisses him reassuringly, her arms wrapped around the back of his neck.

He pulls out of her embrace gently, keeping her at arms distance away. "I'll let you get back to it then. I'll bring your bags down for you while you do that." He smiles politely, not wanting to raise suspicion.

She pulls herself closer to him, against his boundaries. "So thoughtful... what did I ever do to deserve you, Adrikins?" She replies in a low voice, her arms sliding down and wrapping around his waist.

He tries to hide the tension building inside him, trying to hide any obvious recoil from her touch. "Your bags in your closet?" He asks, trying to slip away.

Chloe nods, "In my storage closet, yes" her grip around him unrelenting. "Adrikins?"

"Yes?"

"I was hoping that we could _consummate_ our marriage before we take flight tomorrow," she traces his jawline with her manicured finger.

Adrien swallows hard, internalizing the thought. "O-of course, Chloe; I was just _hoping_ the same thing,"

She bites her lip, "Lovely..." She drops her arms from him. "I'll go back to packing for now." She starts up the stairs but looks back, "Feel free to join me when you're ready," she winks before heading back up to their bedroom.

Adrien lets out a sigh of relief, whispering into his phone as he climbs the stairs, "Sorry you had to hear that,"

"She _is_ still currently and legally your wife." Ladybug remarks back in a hushed voice, "And you can't have her raising any red flags."

Adrien heads the opposite direction as Chloe at the top of the stairs, entering a room that was converted to hold a bulk of Chloe's clothes, closing the door behind him. "I'm still sorry,"

Ladybug shrugs, "Just stay focused. You're looking for a butterfly broach."

"Well I've gotten myself in her closet. Seems like it'd be a good place to hide it." He kneels down and unzips one of Chloe's suitcases. Shuffling the inner contents, he searches for the Miraculous. When he comes up with nothing, he moves onto the next one, and the next one, and the next...

"Anything?" Ladybug questions, her voice higher in the growing tension.

"Nothing yet." He closes the last suitcase back up, getting to his feet. "I'm gonna start checking drawers,"

"Adrikins," Chloe's cold voice sends a shock up his spine as he whirls around to see her in the doorway, "looking for something?"

Adrien keeps his cool, "I think I've misplaced my watch. Thought it might have gotten mixed up in your things." He states simply.

She raises an eyebrow, "Oh. You sure you're not looking for this?" She reveals the butterfly Miraculous from her blazer pocket.

He keeps a straight face, "Why do you have that? It was my father's."

She strides into the room, "I don't know how you caught on so fast. I'm almost impressed." She circles him, like a lion taunting its prey. "Does _Dupane-Chang_ know?"

"No." He stays stationary, trying to calculate her next move.

"So, you love her? Still?" She frowns in disgust.

He nods, "Always."

"You're stronger than her, I see that now. You deserve someone who can return that strength to you." Her hand rests on his shoulder as she continues to stalk. "But we can fix that again," she smirks sinisterly.

Suddenly, Ladybug smashes in a nearby window, throwing herself between Chloe and Adrien, forcing her back. She readies herself defensively.

Chloe easily regains her footing. Her eyebrows raise, "Ladybug? Can't say I was expecting you. I see the suit still fits." She chides.

"Return the city's memories." Ladybug practically growls, "I won't ask again."

"Then don't." She pins the Miraculous to her blazer and is consumed by a purple cloud, emerging as Miz Butterfly.

Ladybug pushes Adrien back behind her, "Uh, Mr. Agreste, get out of here!" She instructs, her eyes never leaving Miz B.

He makes a break for the door but is blocked by a swarm of butterflies, creating a dense wall all around them.

"How did you know about the Akuma, Ladybug?" She asks coolly, stroking her Miraculous, pacing around the room. "How did you escape my Memory Worm's fog?"

Ladybug keeps herself between Miz B and Adrien, "I was out of town." She lies, "When I returned, I easily put the pieces together." She stares her down.

Miz B scoffs, "'Lady Luck', indeed."

"Why are you doing this, Chloe?" She questions, "There's other guys out there besides Adrien Agreste."

"I don't need another guy, I _had_ _him_!" She points accusingly towards Adrien. "But then _Marinette Dupane-Cheng_ stole him from me! I was just simply taking back what was rightfully mine."

Ladybug nods cautiously, "I understand that you and Adrien had a life together before _this..._ _Marinette_ came into the picture. But, you also don't own Adrien. And perhaps you two...weren't meant to be..."

"How dare you!" She roars, lunging for Adrien behind Ladybug.

Ladybug keep her back, bracing herself as Miz B pushes against her.

"Chloe." Adrien addresses her while she struggles in Ladybugs grasp. "I will always love Marinette over you, I'm sorry. No matter how many times you make me forget her, I will always find my way back to her." He swears, maintaining eye contact with her.

Miz Butterfly breaks free from Ladybug, leaping backwards, her fists clenched. "She'll never love you back if she's dead." She sneers.

Ladybug's heart stops momentarily, but she easily sheds away the fear. "I can't let you do that." She shakes her head, swinging her yo-yo.

"Watch me!" She busts through the wall, her cloud of butterflies carrying her towards Marinette's boutique.

They both take the moment to regain their composure, clearing their minds. Adrien comes up behind Ladybug and rests a hand on her shoulder, "Are you okay?"

"Did you really mean what you said just then?" She looks over her shoulder at him.

"When?" He asks, fully aware of what she means, his face turns a shade redder.

"When you said you loved Marinette, that you'll always find your way back to her..." Ladybug trails off, lost in the thought.

He turns her towards him, tilting his head down to meet her gaze, "I wasn't lying just to anger her, if that's what you're thinking." He slowly takes her right hand in his, "I will always love _you_ , I will always find my way back to _you_." He reiterates softly, his other hand gently caressing her cheek.

Ladybugs heart thuds in her chest, practically shaking her entire frame. "I didn't know anyone could feel that intensely, especially for me." She confesses. "I'm not used to this." Her fingers move along his palm.

"Me neither, not like this." He returns. He whispers, "May I kiss you?"

"Yes" She says softly, but assured.

He tilts her head up slightly, bending down to meet her lips. He's tentative at first, gently kissing her. He starts to back out when she pulls him back, her arms draping behind his neck.

Unaware of the warning beeps, Ladybug detransforms mid kiss, but it doesn't faze either of them.

Following her lead, he wraps his arms behind her and holds her close as their lips part.

Adrien smirks, "Must have been one strong Akuma to make me forget this."

"If your two are _quite_ done," Plagg interrupts, hovering next to them, "We have a Miraculous to get back."

Marinette and Adrien step apart from each other awkwardly, slightly embarrassed by the Kwami.

"Plagg, they're falling in love again! Don't interrupt." Tikki chimes in, scolding him.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I wasn't sure how many times we were gonna let crazy Chloe burn down the boutique," he points out.

Everyone's gaze turns to the horizon where a definite cloud of smoke is forming.

"This has happened more than once?" Marinette queries concernedly.

Plagg nods, "At least you're not in the building this time."

Adrien's face turns into a mixture of hatred and disgust, "We have to stop her. Plagg, claws out!"

"Tikki, spots on!" Marinette transforms right after him.

A silence falls between them; they gaze over each other, as if seeing the other for the first time. Chat reaches out his hand, and she takes it in hers. "We should get going," she whispers as the sun begins to set over the city.

He smiles, "You're right. We're late for the wedding." He kisses her hand before vaulting himself out the window, with Ladybug close behind.

They land in the street, looking up at the burning boutique. "No one's inside, right?" Chat asks Ladybug.

"Right. We just need to focus on getting that Miraculous." She affirms. They look up to Miz Butterfly hovering over the boutique, giddy with power.

"I'll follow your lead, M'lady." He watches as the firetrucks begin to arrive, creating a barrier around the block.

She looks around as the fire fighters start to douse the flames. She throws her yo-yo into the air, "Lucky Charm!"

A wireless speaker lands in her hands. Chat straightens up and scrutinizes it. "What are we gonna do with that?"

Ladybug tucks it under her arm, "Distract her. I'll join you in a second." She instructs before slinging herself up onto a nearby rooftop.

Chat smirks before launching himself up to Miz B's elevation. "I know all's _fire_ in love and war, but I think you've taken it a bit far." He jests, landing on a neighboring roof.

"Oh, Chat Noir. Were you out of town too when I erased Paris' memories?" Miz Butterfly sneers, a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

He shakes his head, "Nope. But when there's a villain in need of justice, I'll be there." He gestures grandly, "So here I am."

She rolls her eyes, "You're too late, you stupid cat. Marinette _Dupane-Chang_ has been reduced to ashes."

Ladybug swings in next to Chat, "Are you quite sure?"

A voice starts to echo behind the smoke, "Thank you, Ladybug! Thank you for saving me!" Marinette's voice calls out.

Miz B's eyes grow wide and furious. She zooms through the smoke cloud, followed closely behind by Ladybug and Chat.

Miz B darts from location to location, trying to find the source of Marinette's voice. "Where is she?!" She growls.

With her distracted, Ladybug and Chat wait for an opening.

"Thank you, Ladybug! Thank you for saving me!"

Miz B zeros in on the source, lunging off her butterfly cloud, behind a rooftop chimney. In her clenched hands, she finds the speaker playing Marinette's voice. After the split second of realization, Chat and Ladybug tackle her. Chat restrains her arms as Ladybug unpins the Miraculous from her suit.

"Nooooo!" She wails as she detransforms back into Chloe, Chat holding her hands behind her back.

Marinette tosses the butterfly Miraculous into the air, "Miraculous Ladybug!"

A flash of pink radiates out from them, encompassing the entire city.

Ladybug shields her eyes from the flash of light, unconsciously holding her breath until the ringing in her ears subsides.

She cautiously opens her eyes.

"Then, it is my honor to now pronounce you husband, and wife. You may now kiss the bride." The officiant proclaims, taking a step back.

Still taking in her surroundings, Marinette's mouth hangs slightly agape, but before she can get any words out, Adrien kisses her passionately, practically lifting her off her feet.

She gratefully kisses him back, as her mind races to keep up with what happened.

He whispers as they part, "Finally," he grins as they face their friends and family together.

The crowd erupts in cheers and claps and whistles as they make their way down the aisle together hand in hand.

Adrien helps gather up her dress as they get into an awaiting limo outside the venue. Gorilla closes the door behind them, quickly wiping away a few tears that had started to well in his eyes.

Once in the privacy of the back of the limo, Marinette spills, "Okay, do you remember everything? The Chloe, Miz Butterfly, thing?"

Adrien nods slowly, "Let's just be glad it's over. That everything seems to be back to normal." He squeezes her hand assuringly.

"But where is she now? Where's the Butterfly Miraculous?" She continues, "What if she tries to do something like that again?" Her voice breaks at the thought.

"Looking for this?" Plagg swoops in triumphantly, holding the Butterfly Miraculous besides Tikki.

"Everything is reset. Plagg and I purified the Miraculous." Tikki announces, "All wrong doings from Miz B are reversed."

Adrien holds out his hand, "I'll watch over it. It was my father's, after all. I feel partially responsible for it." He admits. Plagg places it in his hand and he tucks it away inside his suit jacket. The Kwami's exchange a nod and disappear back into their hiding spot.

"What about Chloe?" Marinette asks, "She's tried to kill me, at least twice now."

"I promise she'll never come near you again. I'll do everything I can to bring her to justice." He kisses her hand, "But no more worrying, please. After all that, I think we deserve to have a bit of fun at our reception."

She visibly eases, "You're right. No more worrying tonight." She leans her head against him, wrapping her arms around him.

He chuckles softly, "I love you, Mrs. Dupain-Cheng-Agreste."

She tilts her head up and kisses him, "I love you too, Mr. Dupain-Cheng-Agreste."

"Now that has a nice ring to it." He comments, kissing her again as they drive off towards the rest of their lives together.


	3. Part 3

"It will just take a second," Marinette promises, running off to their bedroom where she had left her sketchbook.

Adrien stretches out on their couch in the living room, pressing his back against the cushion and calling after her. "You know I'm not the best at these things!" He warns.

The couple had just finished dinner and were relaxing together, catching up on some TV. Marinette had been fidgety all evening, tapping her foot, playing with her fingers, and occasionally tense. It had worried Adrien a bit, knowing her tells of when she was anxious, but knew she would say something if something was wrong.

The late afternoon sunbeams were streaming in when she sprung from her seat suddenly and said she was working on some designs and wanted Adrien to see them, it wasn't too out of the ordinary.

She hustles down the stairs and rounds the corner into their generously sized living room. Their style wasn't glitzy, nor modern; it was homey, lived in. Blankets hung over chairs backs, various books scattered around the surfaces in the room, and their hamster, Amande, running around in his cage against the wall. It was perfect.

She sits cross-legged on the couch next to him, leaving some space between as she turns to face him. She keeps her head down as she flips through her sketches, before finally turning to the one of interest. "Yeah, so, I drew these up the other day, and I want to know what you think," she says earnestly, handing him the sketchbook.

He gladly accepts, always fascinated by the designs his wife created for fun or for their various fashion lines that they've established and grown from Agreste Fashion. Adrien mostly manages the business side, being the head of the company, making decisions for new lines and production.

But he raises an eyebrow when he looks over the sketches from Marinette, he suppresses a chuckle, "Ha, I think your scale is off a bit, M'lady."

"How so?" she replies quickly, as if expecting this question to arise. Her hands are tucked under her feet in front of her, leaning forward slightly towards him.

He smiles, now thinking it's a joke, "Well, these measurements make it seem like the piece is only a foot long," he wipes some eraser dust off the page reflexively, "it's as if this were for a doll."

Mari leans in slightly more, her eyes not leaving his face, "Or...?"

His gaze moves to her slowly, "'Or?' Or... what, I don't know?" he looks back down at the sketch.

On the surface it wasn't the craziest thing he'd seen Mari design, especially after they've had a drink or two, but in the end, most of those were just surprises for them to laugh at the next morning. Right now, she was serious. All previous anxiousness has been absorbed into her focus.

Shorts and a T-shirt. That's all it seemed to be. The sketch was of what did seem like was meant for a doll. The proportions were off, even if the scale was right. The colors were bold: bright green shorts and sky-blue shirt.

"Adrien," He looks back into her bluebell eyes. "What else would fit clothes like this?" she asks with a laugh escaping her lips at the end from watching him struggle.

It takes another second before something clicks in his mind, "A baby! You want to start a baby clothing line?" He asks excitedly, "It'd definitely be a new direction for us..."

She rolls her eyes, "Not exactly," her hands slide up to her belly, pulling back some of her loose dress to caress a small baby bump, trying to hold back a huge smile from taking over her entire face, and failing.

The sketchbook falls from Adrien's hands, the paper crumpling against the floor. His mouth hangs agape, his eyes shooting from her belly to her eyes, back and forth. His gaze finally rests on her face, managing a whisper breathlessly "Really?" He had noticed Mari favoring looser clothing lately but figured it was an effect of the rising summer temperatures.

She nods excitedly, glad she's finally able to tell Adrien what she had been keeping a secret for a few weeks, just to make sure it was real.

His eyes glisten, exclaiming in joy before wrapping his arms around her, pulling her over top of him as he falls backwards onto the couch, "Marinette, princess, this is incredible, amazing! I-I love you so much." He stammers, kissing her repeatedly.

"I love you too," she whispers, tears flowing from her eyes.

After a few more kisses he sits up and holds her in his arms, "How long have you known?"

"A month or so, at least when I knew for sure. I'll be 12 weeks along this Wednesday." She nestles her head on his shoulder, picking up and guiding his hand to her belly. "I wanted to wait..."

"I know, I understand" he changes to a comforting tone, rubbing her stomach.

"I didn't want to worry you again, not with opening the new venue and the whole thing with the venders-"

"Those things don't matter," he cuts off her rambling, "I want to be there for you, no matter what." He assures her.

She nods, holding back tears, "I know."

"So when are we telling Alya and Nino, if she hasn't deduced it herself already." He jokes, lifting the mood back up.

She chuckles softly, "I do think she's been suspicious lately. I'll probably text her tomorrow then she'll video call me, so I better clear my schedule."

"You probably should. We should have your parents over this weekend for dinner, do a big reveal-surprise thing," This tone drops on the last syllable, shifting himself anxiously.

She turns to him, "What, what's wrong?" She brushes some of his hair that had fallen in his face.

He shrugs, "It's uh, something, something my therapist brought up last week." He clears his throat, "They said-, they suggested that maybe it's time to reach out to my father."

Marinette sits up, "Really?" she asks, concerned, "It's been, what, 12 years?"

He nods half-heartedly, "Something like that, yeah," he sighs, "I just don't know if I'm ready still. He- he kept me practically locked up in our home for years, and destroyed Paris on multiple occasions as Hawkmoth, tried to kill me as Chat, inadvertently; I don't know if I can do it" his head drops down, "But I think I have to."

She soothes him, running her hand down his arm, "Have you really not contacted him at all since the trial?"

Nodding, he lifts his head, "I, I kind of want to show him, to tell him that I'm better off now, that my life is amazing-" he holds her hand that's on his arm, "without him."

She touches his hand to her cheek, "Whatever you decide, I support you." She whispers.

~ 1 Month Later~

The door buzzes electronically, followed by the clank of the reinforced door opening.

He nervously straightens the 'Visitor' name tag pinned to his button up shirt, his blazer draped over his arm. It had been hard for him to clear his schedule for this, especially when deep down he didn't want to be here, doing the thing he's about to do. But he had to, at least that's what he told himself.

The guard gestures for him to take a seat, three compartments down from the other person marked 'Visitor'. The woman is tearsome, middle aged, a tissue seemingly pressed into place up against her nose as she touches the glass between her and, most likely, her husband, who gazes regretfully through the glass.

"He'll be out in a moment." The guard prompts him, catching him off guard a bit.

Adrien nods and takes his seat, clasping his hands in his lap. Turning to the attentful guard, he asks, "Does Gabriel Agreste get many visitors?", trying not to let his eyes linger on the gun holstered on his hip.

He shrugs and shakes his head, "This one lady with glasses and a pantsuit used to come regularly, but haven't seen her in years." He states factually, no emotion behind his words.

Adrien nods, turning back to the glass and visually inspecting the old phone receiver hung up on the wall of his sectioned off 'private compartment'; a similar, more beaten up phone hanging on the other side of the glass as well.

His foot taps on the linoleum floor, wishing he had his phone to distract himself with, but that and his other belongings had to be put in a locker at visitor check-in. The fluorescent lights softly buzz, but becomes more and more apparent the longer he sits.

A door opens on the other side, a guard ushers in Gabriel Agreste. Adrien's breath catches in his throat, never having seen his father like this before.

Even without his designer suits and glasses, both being replaced by prison issue alternatives, Gabriel seemingly tries to take care of his appearance otherwise. Still clean shaven with his hair slicked back as the only resemblance to how he used to be. But even those things were not perfect, a few strands of hair ran awry, where before Gabriel wouldn't have allowed himself to be seen in such 'disarray', as Adrien remembers him putting it.

The beige jumpsuit washed out everything about him, hanging over his slim frame as he takes a seat without meeting Adrien's eyes.

Adrien hesitates to pick up his end of the receiver, but inevitably holds the phone to his ear, watching Gabriel reluctantly do the same.

"Father." He regards plainly.

Gabriel lifts his head to look at his son, "I see your posture has regressed. Do attempt to sit up straight, why don't you" He says stoically.

Adrien automatically reacts to his father's comment, muscle memory kicking in as he pushes his shoulders back to straighten his spine. But he catches himself doing this, forcing his body to relax back into his less rigid state. "Is that all you have to say to me right now? Criticizing my posture like I'm a child?"

"Well I seemingly should have done it more when you were one." He snaps, his own body unmoving and still, while Adrien's knee bounces under the table.

Adrien closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, "I didn't come here for your feedback on my posture."

"Then why did you come?" He leans forward in his seat, "You know, they keep us well informed behind these bars; newspapers, the occasional magazine floats around. And it seems you've made quite the impression on the public with the company I left you. And that girl you've run off with, a surprising choice to say the least."

Adrien's fingers tighten around the phone. "If you could stop judging every decision I've made in the last decade for one minute..." he says through his teeth, "I was going to tell you the happy news that that girl, my wife Marinette, and I are expecting our first child. So... congrats, Gramps." He finishes abruptly, and moves to hang up the phone and leave, satisfied with at least doing what he promised himself he would do.

"Wait!" Gabriel calls out, his muffled voice coming through the receiver.

Adrien stops, and brings the phone back to his ear.

Gabriel clears his throat, "Mnn, uh, congratulations." He admits a bit begrudgingly, briefly meeting his eyes.

Adrien nods curtly, "Thank you."

"Is that the only reason you finally decided to come by?" Gabriel asks in a neutral tone, holding back his usual mannerisms.

"It was...the main reason."

"And what was the other reason?" He asks, his impatience creeping back in.

Adrien shakes his head slightly, "Just, just why, why," he stutters quietly, his vision blurring.

"You will need to be more specific, son."

"Why couldn't you let her go?" He implores suddenly, his one hand banging on the table, vibrating the thick glass between them. The guard behind Adrien, gives a warning to calm down.

He takes a breath, apologizing to the guard, before turning back to his father, "Why couldn't you just let mother go?" He restates with a more stable disposition, "We could have healed together, become a family again. But, you couldn't."

"I did what I had to do."

"Yeah, that's what the court files say! Did you ever consider that other families have tragedies as well? And they don't go looking for, for magic to torture an entire city for years in hopes of breaking the laws of nature? We could have grieved like a normal family!" He condemns, his words coming out at a more feverish pace.

"We aren't a normal family!" Gabriel snaps, cutting the building tension. "I loved your mother more than anything in the world, if you can imagine. More than any possession, more than any fame I had, more than-"

"Me." Adrien cuts in, stating it like a fact, without judgment, as if it's something he's known a long time.

Gabriel deflates a bit, "So you might understand; if anything were to happen to your Marinette, and you had what I had at my disposal, look me in the eye and tell me you wouldn't do anything to get her back." His lip curls on one side to a sickening smile, the first real expression he's made since sitting down.

"Never." Adrien answers a bit too quickly, like a reflex.

Gabriel's smile stays in place, "You're lying to yourself, Adrien. What if you returned to your home after this visit and found Marinette dead on the floor-"

"Stop."

"-and not a soul in Paris can help you. But you know a way to save your wife and unborn child-"

"Shut up."

"-a little thing called a Miraculous, when used correctly, can save them. And the only thing standing in your way, are a couple of KIDS!" He practically growls, flashing his teeth, his anger and frustration resurfacing by just thinking about Ladybug and Chat Noir.

Adrien drops the phone, letting it hit the desk as he storms out of the facility before the guards behind Gabriel restrain him and drag him back to the innards of the prison.

On the drive home, he can't keep his father's words out of his head, 'You're lying to yourself, Adrien'.

He would do anything for Marinette, he knows he would, especially with a baby on the way. If anything were to happen to her, could he, would he fall onto the path his father trekked and has now laid before him?

The image of the Miracle Box also burns in his mind. With Marinette as the Guardian, she needed a safe place to put it. He had a locked chamber under the floorboards of their bedroom installed when they moved in together into the apartment he had built above the bridal boutique. She carries the key with her at all times.

'Father went mad with the power of one Miraculous, and I have 20 under our bed.' He contemplates to himself.

He parks, realizing he's made it home without recalling anything from the drive, as if he were on auto-pilot. He sighs, realizing the visit wasn't what he was hoping it would be.

He steps into the backdoor of their Boutique and calls the elevator. He rides it up to the 3rd floor where their apartment is. A small hallway leads to their front door which he unlocks. Stepping in, his head jolts up to the sound of a fire alarm going off. "Mari? Marinette!?" He drops everything and makes a beeline towards the alarm. "Marinette!" He yells, his heart in his throat.

He skids to a stop in the smoky kitchen where Marinette is waving a towel at the smoke alarm, her other hand propped against her lower back. She jumps at the sight of him, "Adrien! I didn't hear you come in." She coughs, gesturing to the charred pan on the stove, "I swear I only looked away for one moment and-"

He crosses to her and hugs her tightly, ducking his head to rest on hers.

Though caught off guard, she still comforts him, rubbing her hands along his back. "Did you see him?"

He nods.

The alarm finally quiets, leaving a hollow silence around them.

"Y-you know I'd do anything for you, right?" Adrien chokes out, loosening his embrace.

She manages to catch his eye, looking up at him worriedly, "Yeah..." she braces her hand on the right side of her waist, putting pressure.

"That's what I'm afraid of." He frets.

Mari guides him over to the kitchen table to sit down, holding his hands between their laps as she sits next to him. "'Afraid'? What happened with your father?" She prompts, wanting to help him.

He shakes his head, "My father would do anything for my mother, to get her back. That's why he wanted our Miraculous, that's why he Akumatized people; it was all for her. Or at least, what it started out as.

"What if-" his hands squeeze hers, "what if you leave me, what if something were to happen to our child? What if I'm just like him?" He takes a shaky breath.

"Don't say that. You're nothing like him," She urges, trying to bring him back to the light. "You're...stronger than your father; you always have been." She sighs, "If something were to happen to me, I know you could get through it."

"It didn't feel like I could. You forget, I've already lost you once before." He kisses her fingers; a tear runs down his cheek.

She wipes it away with her sleeve. They rarely talk about that day, the day of the original fire. It was one of the reasons Adrien started therapy later that same year; too many nightmares. "And you saved me, I'm right here." She cups his cheek to wipe another stray tear away.

"But what if I didn't. What if I chose to do anything to save you?" He stares at the space between them. "I could have taken your Miraculous, and done what my father always wanted to do himself-"

"Please don't talk like that. You're not that man. You're not your father. You're Adrien," her tone softens, "my Chat Noir."

His body relaxes, the doubt slowly melting away from his mind, "Thanks. I'm sorry I spiraled."

"Don't apologize, I'll always be here for you, no matter what." She promises.

He takes a steadying breath, "Thanks. Now, how 'bout I clean out this pan for you?" He picks up the culprit pan, the bottom black with charred on food.

She exhales a silent sigh of relief, "Oh please do, I did quite a number on it."

As he turns towards the sink, he fills the pan with water, causing the still hot skillet to erupt with steam. Once it's mostly cooled, Adrien gets to work on it while Marinette finishes up the rest of dinner.

After a moment, he speaks up, "I was thinking of having Agreste Manor demolished." He says casually, but Mari can tell he means it.

"Really? I mean, it was your home. You really want it gone?" She confirms, stirring a pot of noodles slowly.

The Manor had sat mostly vacant the past decade or so. Adrien did live there after Gabriel was arrested, but was left empty after he really started running Agreste Fashion, his meetings, and at the time, Chloe, pretty much kept him out of Paris for years and years. Until he convinced Chloe to return to Paris for their wedding. The Manor was spruced up before their arrival, making as if he had never left. A feeling Adrien did not particularly like.

After he found Marinette again, they lived with her parents while her boutique was being rebuilt. Adrien preferred this to living in the cold corridors of the Manor. Her parents were more than welcoming to Adrien, as they always have been since his childhood. He helped in the bakery in his newly found time off, after delegating the abroad meetings to his close business partners.

Once the boutique and subsequent living quarters, situated on the floors above, were finished, the newly engaged couple moved in together with their hamster; happily living here ever since. And never once had Adrien looked back on the Manor.

"This is my home," he avows, "that was just a place I lived. The bakery felt more like home than that place." The pitch of him scraping the pan changes, putting more force behind it.

She turns off the stove and comes up behind him at the sink, running her hands down his arms, "Then I support you." She kisses his shoulder blade, "I just wanted to make sure that you're sure."

He runs the pan under the water and holds it up to show her it's spotless surface, "I am. I'm gonna make some calls in the morning."

Marinette bounces Felicity, the newest Lahiffe-Cesaire to join their weekly dinners. They rotated between their place and Lahiffe-Cesaire household on a weekly basis as a commitment to keep up with each other even in busy times. This week, they're at Nino and Alya's apartment.

Nino and Adrien are in the kitchen finishing up dinner while Alya and Marinette distract Manny, who has grown into a rambunctious toddler. They sit on the floor of the living room opposite Manny and a pile of various toys.

"I can't wait 'till our kids can play together," Alya smiles, "then we could be drinking with the guys in the kitchen and the kids can distract themselves." She rolls a kickball across the floor to Manny who rolls it back with more or less accuracy.

Felicity burbles in Mari's arms, "I know. I hope they're all friends and go to school together and always want to hang out when we want to too-" she stops herself, readjusting her arms. "Am I doing this right?"

Alya nods, "You're perfect, future-mama." She nabs the runaway ball before it gets too far, "And I know Manny is gonna be the best big brother to Felicity and baby-to-be," she rolls the ball to him, "isn't that right, honey?"

He grabs the ball with both hands as it rolls into his outstretched arms, "Mmhmm! I am the best broth-er." He beams, before his eyes widen, "Gotta pee!" He announces before running to the restroom around the corner and slamming the door.

They laugh, rousing the baby. Alya holds out her arms for Mari to transfer the fussing Felicity to her. She carefully does so, "I hope I'm as good as a mom as you." Mari compliments, leaning back against the couch.

"Don't strive for perfection like that, you'll only be disappointed." Alya jokes, calming Felicity. "But seriously, I know you'll be great, Adrien too." She adds, nudging her with her elbow.

"I hope so" she reiterates quietly. "You know Adrien visited his dad, right?"

Alya nods thoughtfully.

"I think he's afraid of turning into his dad, more than usual since the visit. And I know, and I've told him that could never happen, but he still worries."

"I would say everyone's afraid of turning into their parents," Alya notes, "But he definitely has a bigger shadow to avoid."

Mari sighs, "Exactly. And he wants to demolish his old home, he plans to; and just keeps trying to distance himself from his past as much as possible. And I'm not sure if that's the right thing to do."

"He wants a clean slate with you, is what it is." Alya justifies, "He probably doesn't want to raise a child in a world where the ghosts of his past are still around."

"Maybe." Mari lifts herself up onto the couch, stretching her stiff legs from sitting on the ground.

Alya follows suit, "If this is what he needs to do, I wouldn't worry about it." She shrugs.

She nods reluctantly, "I'm just afraid he'll make a mistake he'll regret later."

"Come and get it!" Nino calls from the kitchen, followed by the rapid pace of a toddler running from the bathroom.

They get up to join the others in the dining room, Alya looking to cut off her son's path, "Manny! Did you wash your hands, baby?"

A date was set. The iconic Manor would be bulldozed in three weeks' time, and that news spread fast. The press had their share of articles examining the history of the structure, having been home to three generations of Agreste since it's conception. All in all, stirring the scandal around Hawkmoth/Gabriel Agreste back into the forefront of Parisian minds.

The media following of Adrien and Marinette had only been on a decline since their wedding day, much to their relief. Besides obvious junctions like fashion shows, and the occasional photographer following them to the grocery store, they were able to keep themselves out of the tabloids and public's attention.

Now Adrien did his best to avoid news reporters and paparazzi shoving microphones in his direction wherever he goes. The day he and Marinette had to go down to oversee the Manor getting cleaned out of all its dressings was the worst, like the press knew what they were up to. It didn't help when the attention turned on Mari and the obvious four-months-sized baby bump forming under her blouse.

Once safely inside the gates of Agreste Manor, they pull up next to the large moving truck parked in front of the door. They let out a pent-up breath, but still keep their heads ducked until they're well within the foyer of the Manor.

The movers were already at work upon their arrival, having been given instructions to start by removing all of Gabriel's remaining possessions and to put them in the donation truck. A handful of men are carrying Gabriel's bed down the stairs, struggling to get a good hold on the frame. Adrien rushes to their aid, helping to shoulder some of the weight.

"Careful, guys!" Marinette calls, "There's no need to rush, take it slow" she advises, her own back aching just looking at them.

"Mari," Adrien grunts, "I think my phones slipping out of my back pocket, can you grab it?"

She rushes to his side as they reach the first landing beneath the portrait of Gabriel and Adrien as a teenager. She plucks the phone from his back pocket right as it's about to pop out.

"I'll meet you in my room." He nods as the group starts heading down the last set of steps.

"Alright. You guys sure you got that?" She offers, putting Adrien's phone in her purse.

Shaking his head, he gestures with his chin up the stairs, "Yep. I'll be up in a few." He insists.

She smirks, "Okay, don't complain to me tomorrow when your back hurts" she teases before heading to his room.

Heading up and around the corner, she steps into Adrien's childhood room. Dust hangs in the air, highlighted by the morning rays of sunlight streaming in through the windows.

She plops down on the white couch overlooking the city below, fanning herself with her hand. The image of Adrien climbing in and out these windows as Chat Noir, for years, brings a smile to her face. On the surface, he was escaping every little boy's dream room. Space to play basketball, rock climb, and play all the newest video games, she could imagine some boys who would never want to leave this place. But that's all Adrien ever wanted to do.

This was his prison.

All the bright and shiny toys and games were meant to keep him self-entertained. No need to leave the house when you've got all this at home. What's there to complain about when you have everything every kid ever wanted? Right?

She realizes she's glad Adrien is Chat Noir, not only because she fell for both halves of him, but because he deserved it. Chat Noir was his way out of this life he was trapped in. Maybe she would have been easier on him as Ladybug knowing what Chat was escaping to be with her every night and for every fight.

The buzzing of a cell phone shakes her from her train of thought. She reaches into her bag, finding its Adrien's phone that's ringing. As partners in Dupain-Cheng-Agreste Fashion, she often picked up business calls for him. She answers, "Hello, this is Mrs. Dupain-Cheng-Agreste speaking."

"Hello Mrs. Agreste" a woman's voice speaks in an official tone. "This is La Santé Prison calling with an outgoing call from Mr. Gabriel Agreste. Do you accept the call?" She prompts.

A tremble runs through her hand, "I-I should get my husband," she insists, standing from the couch.

The woman on the other end sighs, "Do you accept the call?" She repeats, losing a bit of her superficial professionalism.

Mari freezes in place, "Uh, uh, yes." She responds, followed by a click on the other end of her being transferred.

"Adrien?"

His voice immediately sends her back to her childhood, back to when she looked to him as a role model, watching every interview and appearance. Memories that were only complicated by everything that happened since then.

"Adrien?" He asks with a bit more force.

She shakes her head, "Uh, sorry, this is Marinette, his wife. He can't make it to the phone at the moment." She explains, trying to keep her voice level, her eyes darting to the door hoping Adrien just comes walking in.

She hears him click his tongue, "Ah, yes, well you'll have to do." He resigns, making her feel like he meant it in more ways than one. "I've gotten word that Adrien plans to demolish my home."

"It's his home, legally," she interjects out of pride, "he can do whatever he wants with it."

Gabriel scoffs, "That's not why I'm calling. There's something you must know before you level the premises, something Adrien doesn't know about." He warns.

Mari's mouth hangs open, not sure of his intentions "Is this a trick? Why are you really calling now? You don't attempt to contact Adrien for over a decade with no explanation and now all of a sudden you're upsetting him after he goes to see you and now-"

"It's his mother." He interjects, having no time nor the want to listen to Marinette scold him.

She falls back into her seat on the couch, "His mother? W-what about her?" She asks, still skeptical.

He sighs, "She...is still on the premises."

Her mouth hangs agape, "Wha-what, what do you mean?" she stammers, no longer able to keep up appearances. "She was, she is, missing, what do you mean she's here?"

Gabriel continues, "There's a hidden elevator in my office that will lead you to her" he says solemnly, "I'm running out of time. Don't let anything happen to her." He warns before he cuts out.

"Your session has ended. Thank you. Goodbye." An automated voice says before the line hangs up.

She's still sitting there with the phone to her ear when Adrien walks in, "Did I miss a call? Was it Theresa? I told her I would return her call at 3." He looks at his watch as he crosses in front of Mari, catching the disturbed look on her face. He immediately kneels down next her, "Is something wrong?" His fingertips graze her baby bump, fearing the worst.

She robotically hands him his phone, "It was your father." She reports.

Adrien handles his phone like it's been violated. "Why? What did he say to you?" He says with a slight edge in his voice, worried his father said something to her that he would make him regret.

She holds his hand firmly, her eyes unfocused, "He said, he said your mother is here, that she's 'still on the premises'."

Unblinking, he stares at the phone, "'Here', as in, in this house?" She nods. "Is this some scheme, some joke to keep us from tearing this place apart?" He asks in a strained tone, getting up suddenly to start pacing the room.

She gets up and touches his shoulder to make him stop, "We can't be sure unless we check... He said there's a hidden elevator in his office. It will lead us to...your mother." She says solemnly, unsure of what state they will find her in, if they find her at all.

"His office?" He stalks out of the room, "Plagg," he calls out his Kwami who is usually hovering out of sight.

He drops in from above, "Come on, I was just showing Tikki my favorite spot in your rafters." He chides.

"Sorry, but I need you to go into my father's office and see if you can find any secret paneling, a hidden elevator." He requests, stalking down the stairs, followed closely by Marinette who has been joined by Tikki.

He shrugs, "I'll try," he zooms ahead, taking a straight shot from them to the office, passing through the walls.

Marinette turns to her own Kwami, "Would you mind helping Plagg out?"

"No problem!" She squeaks, following Plaggs path through the house.

Mari catches up to Adrien by the last step where he's paused, staring at the office doors he was rarely allowed behind. "I hope they don't find anything. I hope he's lying." He sighs, "But I also want to know what happened to my mom, for better or worse."

She holds his hand, running her thumb over the back of his palm soothingly. "We'll get to the bottom of this one way or another. Come on," she encourages softly, leading them to the intimidating set of doors on the side of the foyer.

Adrien goes ahead and opens the doors. The sparse furniture is all still in place, but is covered with a dust tarp and has been covered since Gabriel was imprisoned. His heart twinges at the sight of the large, dusty golden framed collage of photos of him ranging from age 10 to 18. He tries to ignore the deepening resentment present in the eyes of his past selves as the years go by. Marinette probably wouldn't be able to notice the change in his eyes from the pictures, but he does.

"Over here!" Tikki calls from the far side of the room.

The painting of Emilie Agreste in her abstract golden gown looms above them all. Adrien silently wonders what to do with the 15-foot-tall painting of his mother when the time comes to demolish the house. It felt wrong to get rid of it, but there was no place for it in his current home with Mari.

"Got it!" Plagg says confidently as something sparks within the painting. A circular hole is revealed in the floor in front of the painting.

Adrien and Marinette approach cautiously, looking down into the unlit elevator shaft.

"One route leads up to an empty chamber overlooking the city," Tikki explains, "the other leads deep underground. I didn't follow it all the way, but I think that's where we need to go."

"How are we going to get down there?" Adrien wonders aloud, not seeing any platform for them to step onto.

Marinette turns to Tikki, "If I transform, it won't affect anything, right?" She caresses her baby bump.

"I promise it won't." Tikki swears, "But what about-"

"Then I'll repel us down using my yo-yo." She decides, "Sound good?"

Adrien nods, "I'll transform too, just in case." He states.

"Sweet," Plagg cheers, "as much as I love domestic bliss and all the camembert I can eat, I miss this." He flies around Adrien's head.

He chuckles, "In that case, Plagg, claws out!"

"Tikki, spots on!"

In a flash, they stand in their corresponding super suits. Ladybug's skin-tight suit accentuated her growing baby bump. "Oh geez. We better lock the door so none of the moving guys come in here. I think they'd draw a few conclusions if they saw us." She realizes, starting to anchor the end of her yo-yo to a nearby structure.

"Good call." Chat makes quick work of the office door, double checking so they don't receive any surprise company, and also shutting the curtains around the room. He returns to her side where she has already swung her legs over the side of the elevator shaft, sitting on the edge. "You sure you can do this? It's a long way down." He remarks, sitting next to her.

She tugs on the yo-yo string, "Do you know how many times I've caught you from falling off the Eiffel Tower? And then lowered us down to the ground?" She smiles to herself, "Too many. This shouldn't be hard." She lowers herself into the hole, pushing off the side with her feet. "Get on my back." She instructs, reaching up a hand to help him down.

"If you insist, M'lady," He slides into the hole and latches onto her back, kissing her behind her left ear before taking out his baton and activating it as a light source, giving the tunnel around them a dim green glow. "Let me know if you need a break and I can support myself by extending my baton against the sides." He informs her.

She shrugs and starts to repel them down, "I've got superhero strength, Kitty, remember? It feels like I'm giving Manny a piggyback ride." She assures him.

The trip down the elevator shaft was longer than they expected. After repelling for 5 minutes, Ladybug picks up the pace, deciding to be a little less cautious for the sake of time. They pass a fork in the road, the one Tikki had mentioned leading up to the empty lair. Hoping that was a halfway point, they keep travelling down.

The air becomes heavier, either from their depth or just the feeling of something hanging in the air. It gave both of them goosebumps when combined with the echoing silence and endless void surrounding their comparatively small aura of light from Chat's staff.

So when Ladybug's feet finally touch solid ground, she yelps from the surprise.

Chat climbs off her back, venturing into what they could assume was a large hollow bunker, based off the way their footsteps echoed around the room. Ladybug leaves her yo-yo dangling as a way out, stepping behind Chat, "What is this place? It's so hot" she whispers, but even that seems to bounce off the walls and ceiling hidden behind the curtain of darkness beyond their bubble of light. She wipes a bead of sweat from her forehead.

"I...don't know." He takes a step forward and a loud clank reverberates across the room, as if a switch has been triggered. He reaches back and puts an arm around her as lights flicker on one at a time. A metallic runway hums from the lights illuminating it from beneath, to varying degrees of success. Some lights creep their way up to full brightness, only to turn dark and be forced to make the effort again, while others are jittery, flickering on and off as they please.

Once their eyes adjust, they confirm their suspicions on the vastness of the room they're in. The ceiling is 50 feet high, arching down to create the rounded walls that are equally as wide. A 5-foot-wide runway spans the length of the bunker, which is probably 1000 feet long, leading to another landing.

"After you, then." Ladybug urges lightheartedly, gesturing towards the bridge-like catwalk.

He readies his staff defensively, "Can't turn back now, I suppose."

She follows him. The bridge creaks, sediment of some kind flakes off and lands on the surface of the water far below them. Again, their pace quickens as they become more comfortable with the thought that the metal won't rust away beneath their next step.

The far landing becomes more and more in focus with each step, the green hue of vegetation becoming apparent first.

Some of the more delicate plants, like the rose bushes and lillys, had long perished, becoming nearly indistinguishable as the suffocating vines overtook nearly everything, including a white casket situated in the center.

The heroes approach slowly, wondering if something might leap out of the vines at them. But their attention is quickly overtaken by the casket, the vines obscuring a glass front which would be used to look inside.

"'She's still on the premises'..." he whispers incredulously, "She was never missing. She's been here, under my feet, my whole life." He falls to his hands and knees, his head hanging, unable to conjure up any tears as his mind goes into shock.

Ladybug kneels down and wraps her arms around his shoulders, "I'm sorry your father kept this from you." She whispers, tears of her own accumulating from seeing him go through this.

After a moment, he sits up and uses his claws to de-vine the casket. Ladybug rises to her feet and pushes them away, allowing herself a tentative peek inside the glass front panel of the casket. Her breath catches in her throat, "Ad-rien... she's, she's breathing...".

He scrambles to his feet, eyes wide at the sight of his mother lying beneath the glass as if she were asleep, "Mom...?"

One Lucky Charm later, the casket is on the ground level, Mrs. Agreste lay under the portrait of herself in Gabriel's office. Marinette and Adrien quickly realized the casket was more than it seems. It was a self-regulating chamber that sustained Emilie under the glass.

Adrien stays by his mother's side as Marinette calls '112' on her cell, simply prompting that they need an ambulance sent to Agreste Manor ASAP.

To Adrien, the wait feels like forever, worried as if he's about to watch his mother wither away to nothing right before his eyes.

Marinette sends the moving crew home for the day, their truck pulling away just as the ambulance turns the corner into their driveway. The crowd of reporters, still outside the gates, are reinvigorated by this sight, many immediately reporting their speculations as to why the ambulance was called.

Mari leads the paramedics into Gabriel's office, while quickly, and vaguely, explaining the situation. By the time they reach Adrien and see the famously-lost Emilie Agreste, comatose in a glass casket, the trio of paramedics all have the same expression : shock and confusion.

But their training quickly overcomes these feelings as they lift the whole apparatus onto a gurney, with some help from Adrien, and roll her out to the ambulance waiting outside. The press definitely catch on that a coffin of sorts is being removed from the Agreste estate, sending them into a near frenzy, pressing themselves up against the gate.

The paramedics inform Adrien and Marinette that they will be contacting them once they are able to fully assess the situation at the hospital. They nod numbly in response, allowing them to drive away, siren blaring while honking their horn to get the paparazzi to move out of the way.

Marinette guides Adrien back inside before they get any more photos taken of them.

"Another visit? Already? It hasn't even been 10 years." Gabriel chides as he sits in his seat behind the bullet proof glass opposite Adrien.

"Tell me why mom was in that chamber under the house." Adrien spoke plainly, to the point, not wanting to fall into his Father's mind games again.

Gabriel leans back in his chair, "Ah yes, I did predict that you'd have questions about that. It's quite the harrowing story really. One I'm not inclined to share at the moment." He smirks.

Adrien's jaw sets, "Everyone knows you put her down there, there's no use in denying that part, not after that call you had with Marinette. I- we, just want to know how, and why. I think you owe me at least that."

He seems to consider this briefly, his eyes narrowing, "No, I don't think I do." He says, shaking his head slightly. "But maybe if you used those manners I tried so hard to instill in you?"

Adrien shuts his eyes tightly in frustration, "Please, father..." he says with disdain, "tell me what happened to mom."

A small, satisfied smile curls on his lip, "How much do you know about magical items called the Miraculous?"

He holds his tongue, "You used one to become Hawkmoth."

"Indeed. Mine was one of many relics that could grant power to its user. Your mother was the one who introduced me to these items." He states calmly, watching Adrien's reaction.

"She did?" Adrien asks, unable to hide his touch of disbelief.

Gabriel nods, "Besides being a gifted actress, she had a scholarly side when it came to topics of interest. She had stumbled across a text on the Miraculous during an adjacent reading she was doing. This led her down a path that she became bound by.

"You were just a baby when she convinced me to travel with her to a place she believed was the location of some Miraculous relics. We left you with the nanny and we set off for the Tibetan jungles; a far throw from our usual resort accommodations, but I trusted her. It was like an itch she couldn't scratch until she had proof or at least some answers.

"Of course her brilliance led us right to the long-lost Butterfly and Peacock Miraculous, left forgotten in an ancient temple. She gave me the Butterfly Miraculous to hold on to, being the Peacock one was seemingly damaged from battle. She wanted time with it, to see if she could fix it. I built her the cavern under the house so she could focus on her work in peace.

"For years they were nothing more than trinkets, until Emilie located the Miraculous Grimoire. She had it flown in, and presented it to me on our anniversary. She said, we would finally be able to know if the magic of the Miraculous was real."

A pit was growing in Adrien's stomach.

"After you were put to bed, we donned our Miraculous under the house. Emilie translated the incantation needed to activate them. I recited it, turning into Hawkmoth for the first time. Your mother turned into a version of Mayura. But it was a short-lived celebration. The damages of the Peacock Miraculous bled into her transformation and her soul.

"I forbade her from transforming ever again. But she was stubborn, wanting to unlock all the secrets that her Miraculous held. I could always tell in the morning when she had transformed the previous night while I was sleeping. She hid it well from the public, from you, but behind closed doors she was sick.

"And one day, she never came back to bed." Gabriel's face had visibly softened over the course of his story, his shoulders just slightly slouched. "I found her unconscious in her chamber under the house, clinging to life. We knew that no physician could help us or understand her maladies. So I set her up as you found her, hoping that one day she may wake, but it was never the case."

"And that's why you became Hawkmoth." Adrien states with an understanding tone.

He nods, "I picked up where her research left off, discovering that the Ladybug and Cat Miraculous, when combined, give one the power to change reality. I couldn't afford to travel the world in search of these other Miraculous, but I quickly realized that I could draw them out of hiding by becoming Hawkmoth."

A silence hangs in the air, both of them mentally filling in the rest of the story from their point of view...

"You swear that's the truth?" Adrien utters.

Gabriel nods, "I've only told you the truth, in hopes you can truly understand me, and that your mother can't be saved without those Miraculous."

"Mr. and Mrs. Dupain-Cheng-Agreste, do come in." Dr. Langly waves the couple into this office. "I know you two are busy."

Marinette and Adrien file in and take a seat in the small but neat office at the hospital. It had been a week since their discovery and Emilie had been undergoing various tests and checks in order for the doctors to try and get an idea of the strange situation. "We were awaiting your call." Is all Adrien responds with.

"We know you're one of the best doctors in France," Marinette compliments, "we're glad you've taken interest in our case."

He nods, "Well it has caught my interest, along with everyone else in Paris. It's not every day missing people, let alone Emilie Agreste, reappear in such an unusual manner."

"And what have you found out?" Adrien prompts.

The doctor clears his throat, "Right. Upon first appearances it does indeed seem like she is in a comatose state, but by what means is unclear. There seems to be no trace of physical trauma or other factors that could have led to this. In all honesty, based on what we can see, there is no reason she should be in this state."

Adrien's jaw tightens as the doctor confirms what his father had explained. "Is there anything that can be done?" He presses.

Dr. Langly's face deepens, "It is rare to have patients who have been in a coma for such an extended amount of time. We can keep her here for as long as you want in hopes she wakes up naturally; but, my professional advice is that... you let her rest."

Marinette squeezes Adrien's hand, her eyes never leaving his face. He seemed distant, processing the world on a moment by moment basis. "You wanted to go see her, right, hon?" She coaxes her way into his thoughts, letting him catch up in his own time. She turns to the doctor, "Would that be alright?" She asks patiently.

He nods, "Ah, yes. I can walk you over myself."

The two linger behind the doctor, leaving a breadth so they can talk. "It's like your father said. They don't know what's wrong with her." She whispers to him as their shoes tap along the pristine tile floor.

He nods, his body stiffened by the sight of the endless and winding white walls leading him to his mother.

They soon enter a private room where the only break from the cold vibes of the room were the carpet-bag patterned curtains and matching wooden chairs.

Emilie lay in the center of the room, just as peaceful looking as she had been found, but now she wore a hospital gown and was tucked under a thinly knit cerulean colored blanket.

The doctor took his place on the opposite side of the bed, "So, again, we can keep her comfortable as long as you want, if that's your decision; we'd move her to the long-term care wing and she'd be well taken care of. And the other option would be available at any time. We'd just need a decision on if she needs to be moved or not within the next week or so, or whenever is convenient." He tries to accommodate, not used to working with clients who were recently front-page news.

Adrien's eyes are locked onto his mother, barely registering the man's words. Mari mouths a "thanks" as the doctor excuses himself from the room.

Marinette guides Adrien over to the one chair in the room, already placed at the side of the bed. She rubs his shoulder soothingly.

It was different seeing her outside the glass casket. Behind the glass, she more closely resembled something from a forgotten fairytale. Finding her under his old house didn't feel real, but it definitely did now.

His voice cracks, "H-hi mom, it's me. Adrien. You may not recognize my voice," his breath catches, "because it's been so long since I've talked to you, in person." He sniffles, quickly rubbing his nose with the side of his sleeve. "I, uh, run Agreste Fashion now, well, part of it is Dupain-Cheng-Agreste Fashion which I run with my wife. Oh, I'm married. She's here with me," he nods towards Mari.

"H-hi Mrs. Agreste, I'm Marinette. I just want to let you know that Adrien is wonderful, and he's grown up to be a good man that I love." She recites, having thought about this moment over and over again the past few days.

"And we're pregnant." Adrien adds with a hint of dimmed enthusiasm, unable to fit the tone of the room. "You're a grandma, basically. I just wanted you to know that I wish you were here to experience this with us..." he tentatively reaches out to hold his mother's hand, her hand laying softly in his, "I just miss you so much,"

They arrive home in silence, physically and mentally exhausted from the hospital. Adrien drops his keys into the bowl by the front door. Marinette leans on the wall, taking deep breaths. "Are you okay?"

She waves her hand, dismissing him, "I just need to sit down, don't worry about me. You were very strong today, by the way." She slips off her shoes and makes her way to the couch in the next room.

He follows her diligently, holding her hand from her seated position on the couch, "Thanks, but I don't want to talk about it tonight, if that's okay." He says soberly. She nods understandingly.

He closes his eyes, mentally switching avenues, "I snagged something the other day from the Manor after I went to confront my father. I honestly forgot about it until my father brought it up; but it's real home definitely is here with you, Great Guardian." He manages a little smile as he pulls the Miraculous Grimoire off the bookshelf in their living room. He lays it in her lap, "It's all written in some kind of code though."

"Oh, I remember this thing," she runs her hand over the embossed cover, smiling to herself at the memory.

"You've...seen this book before?"

She nods, "I... well, Tikki and I took it from you one day at school because she said it was supposed to belong to the Guardian and we had to return it to him."

He cracks a smile, "And then my father threatened to take me out of public school?" He confirms the memory, sitting down and putting an arm around her.

"Yeah, but I couldn't let that happen, because I had a bit of a crush on you," she leans into him, "so I convinced Master Fu to let me return it."

"Well, I'm glad you did, even if you didn't know you were putting it right into Hawkmoth's hands." He chides.

She dips her head, "Hindsight, and all that. Plus if you never came back to school, I wasn't going to be able to stare at you all day like I normally did." She kisses his cheek.

"In a non-creepy way, I'm hoping?" He snickers.

She shakes her head, scrunching up her nose and smirking, "Nope, in a totally creepy way, definitely."

They laugh together, a cathartic release from this unimaginable week they've had.

"It couldn't have been too creepy if I didn't notice," he adds.

Mari cracks open the book absentmindedly, "I think that's what made it-" her eyes lock on the page, "-creepy."

He follows her gaze, "Hey, who's that cutie?", he comments on an early form of Ladybug drawn on the page.

Her eyes scan the page frantically, "I...can read it."

Adrien does a double take between her and the page. "Like, you see words? You understand it?"

She nods, turning to different pages and seeing the same effect. The symbols on the page shift before her eyes, becoming French script.

"It must be your Guardian powers or something," he looks at her in awe.

Entranced, she quickly searches the book for a particular page, "'Ultimate Power'" she reads, "'Ultimate Miraculous Power can be achieved when the Ladybug and Cat Miraculous are fused by the wielder, and a single wish, a Miracle Wish, may be granted, able to alter reality itself.'"

"That's what my father said, it's how he planned to bring mom back."

She keeps reading as if she didn't hear him, "'But the cost of the wish is a required equal payment to the universe. For example, a wish to become human would result in someone losing their humanity.'" Her eyes grow wide, gripping the sides of the book.

He shakes his head, "Father neglected to mention that part."

"Of course he did. But for a man who plagued Paris for a decade, the 'price' was probably an afterthought," her voice lowers, her body swaying slightly at the sight of the book.

Adrien notices this and clones the Grimoire, pulling it to the other side of the seat. Her hands clench as if still trying to hold onto the book that wasn't on her lap anymore. "I think that's enough for tonight," he cautioned, holding the back of his hand to her cheek, feeling how warm she's grown. "Let's get you to bed." He stands up and holds out his hand.

She blinks hard a few times, taking some deep breaths, "Right. Yeah, that sounds nice."

Their alarm blares at 9am the next morning. Adrien inhales deeply, stretching under the sheets, but is caught off guard when the alarm isn't shut off promptly like it normally is when it's on Marinette's side of the bed.

He rolls over in their bed, "Mari, I know you don't want to get up, but at least turn that thing off,"

She's on her side, facing away from him, when he goes to put an arm around her shoulders. As his skin contacts hers, he immediately throws back the blankets, feeling her burning up. He gets up on his knees and coaxes her onto her back. Her bangs are plastered to her forehead from sweat and she has her arms wrapped around her abdomen. Her lips move, "I think, it's a cold mixed with allergies, don't worry," she says hoarsely, keeping her eyes closed. "I felt it coming a week ago," she dismisses.

He feels her cheek and forehead, finding she's hotter than the previous night. "What do you mean? I'm going to find our thermometer." He jumps out of bed and rummages through their night stand.

She shakes her head, "I-I just need some water," a dry cough escaping between her words, "I'm fine." She insists, swinging her legs out of bed and onto the floor. She gasps as she tries to stand, a shooting pain ripping through the right side of her waist. "Aghhn-!" she grunts, bracing herself against the mattress as she sits back onto its surface.

"Mari!" Adrien snatches the thermometer and runs to her side. He sets the thermometer to take her temperature, "Is this happening because of the Grimoire? From using your Guardian Powers?" Her temperature reads 102F (38C), and his heart drops. "Let's get you checked out." He says in a low, wavering voice before scooping her up into his arms.

She doesn't fight him anymore, realizing something is seriously wrong. She wraps an arm around his shoulders, "It wasn't the Grimoire" she mumbles, "I said I felt this coming...kinda. I didn't think it was anything."

She winces as he sets her down carefully on the living room sofa so he can put on his shoes and hers. "W-when did you start thinking something was wrong?" He asks in a level tone, just needing answers.

"The night I set off the smoke alarms..." she admits. "I felt dizzy and had to sit down because my right side was cramping. That's why I didn't see the food burning in time". He zips up the boots he slid onto her feet before picking her up again. "I know I should have told you or asked our doctor, but I thought I would be overreacting, I thought it was normal." She shakes her head at her past self, tearing up a bit.

"That doesn't matter now," he assures her, bringing her into the hall and stepping into the elevator to bring them down. "You just need to stay with me."

Still dressed in their pajamas, Adrien in P.J. pants and a white undershirt and Mari in a pink patterned set, they get into their car as the sun just starts to shine down over the rooftops of Paris.

In a flurry of action, Marinette is wheeled off to an examination room to the tune of muffled camera shutters going off in the parking lot. Adrien follows closely behind.

After a few physical tests and questions, the nurse says formally, "We think your appendix may have ruptured, combined with a torn membrane which could have gotten severely infected. We'll need to run more tests to confirm your situation. You'll have to remove your jewelry and other metals from your person." The nurse informs, "Change into a gown and I'll be back to take you for the test." She dismisses herself, leaving them alone.

Marinette's heart beats hard in her chest, paralyzed with fear as Adrien helps her change out of her pajamas into the cloth gown. "I can't believe this is happening," she whispers, silent tears streaming down her face, "what does this mean, what's going to happen?" she frets, eyes closed as she curls up on the cold mattress.

Adrien sits down behind her, trying to hold in his own panicked tone, "W-we don't know for sure if it's bad. Maybe it's a routine issue." He leans down and holds her against his chest, closing his eyes.

She doesn't respond, she only reaches up to remove her Miraculous and holds them out for him, "Keep them safe,"

A nurse passes by the doorway to the room, seeing Adrien pacing back and forth. He pokes his head in, "Are you okay sir? Can I get you anything?"

"I'm just waiting for my wife to come back from getting some exams done."

A concerned look comes across his face, "Marinette Agreste, right?" He pulls a file off the main desk in the hall, and reads "She was rushed into surgery in the middle of the exam because she started crashing." He regretfully informs. "I'm sorry no one told you."

He feels his heart stop, all his nerves firing at once.

He tells his feet to move, forcing his way past the nurse, "I need to see her." He says defiantly.

The nurse grabs his shoulder, "She's already being taken care of, there's nothing you can do, and you can't see her while they're operating." He says regretfully.

Adrien squeezes his eyes shut, holding back his instinct to find Marinette no matter what. His shoulders ease a tad, "Just, can you tell me if she'll be okay? Is this a normal procedure?" He maintains his composure.

The nurse guides Adrien to the side of the hall, so as to not block the walkway, before dropping his hand from Adrien. He scans over the rest of Marinette's chart, his face growing more remorseful, "The infection had spread further than expected, into her blood most likely. Along with everything else, she probably has a 50/50 chance of her and the baby getting through this operation."

Blurry eyed, Adrien storms down the hall without another word.

"Wait, Mr. Agreste, I said you can't see her!" The nurse calls out but doesn't have the heart to follow.

But Adrien wasn't heading towards the operating ward.

His left hand reaches into his pocket and plucks the Ladybug Miraculous from inside. He palms them as he speed walks into his mom's room and locks the door behind him, pulling a curtain over any of the windows looking in.

Plagg emerges frantically, "Adrien, bud, let's keep it together, no need to do anything rash,"

Adrien simply answers with the look of a broken soul-ed man, his jaw trembling from his shallow breaths. "P-Plagg...claws out."

"Don't do it-" Plagg warns as he's sucked into Adrien's ring, causing the black leather suit of Chat Noir to materialize.

He stares at the Ladybug earrings in his left hand, his palm tingling from just their proximity to the Cat Miraculous on his other hand.

He looks to his mother, her peaceful expression sending a shiver up his spine.

Trying to shake away the feeling, his eyes return to the Miraculous. His hand shakes as he rolls the earrings into the palm of his right hand. His ring glows green and the earrings light up red in turn. "Plagg, Tikki...unify." He declares softly, squeezing his hand tightly over the earrings.

A blinding white light fills the room, causing him to stagger back against the wall. His right arm stiffens as if he's being electrocuted, unable to drop the Ladybug Miraculous even if he wanted to. Even with his eyes closed against the light he can feel his suit changing, and even a feeling of weightlessness come over him.

When the light finally fades, he gasps for air, realizing he had been holding his breath the entire time. Looking down, he sees his suit has changed to a royal violet color, with glowing golden vines running through his core and down his extremities. "Oh my god," he says under his breath, feeling the power coursing through his veins.

He looks to his unmoved mother, ashamed he's using the wish to save Marinette, "I'm sorry, mom," he picks up her hand and holds it between both of his, "I'm sorry."

Then, a whisper starts tickling the back of his mind, "Adrien...Adrien...", growing louder with each turn.

"Wha-" he's barely able to mouth before he feels like he's falling, like taking the first dive on a rollercoaster.

When the feeling passes, he looks up to find himself in the backyard of the Manor, next to the statue of his mother. He's dressed in a white button down and slacks, any sign of the Miraculous are gone. It feels real, except for the colorless sky, completely white from horizon to horizon.

"Adrien..." A familiar voice drifts in behind him.

He spins around and comes face to face with his mother.

Speechless, he backs up against the perimeter wall as Emilie slowly approaches him with an outstretched hand. "Look at you, it's really you, isn't it?" She dares to smile for what seems like the first time in a long time, with it flickering on her lips.

He nods automatically, simply responding to his mother's voice which he hasn't heard outside of her movies which never quite captured the real velvet tones in her voice, "What's going on?" Adrien asks.

She cautiously caresses his cheek with the back of her hand, "You tell me; even though, I have my theories." She laughs gently, her eyes never leaving his face.

"And what are your theories?" He pursues that line of thought, unable to come up with any of his own at the moment.

She guides him to the bench a few steps away, "That you have the Ladybug and Cat Miraculous, and right now in the conscious world, your body is filled with incredible power, that also helped me reach out to you, and I think a part of you also wanted to."

Taken aback, he becomes skeptical, "How do you know that?"

She sighs, finally looking away, "I can still hear things while in this...state. I think I know more than you think, dear." Her voice becomes hollow, lonely.

"So you know about father, and what he did?" He asks.

She nods, "That he abused the Butterfly Miraculous, akumatizing Paris to try and get those Miraculous that you are now holding? Yes, I know." A hint of disgust rises in her voice.

His heart rises into this throat, "So it's true; you really do know about the Miraculous, and found the Butterfly and the Peacock Miraculous to study them. You found the Grimoire. But the Peacock one was damaged, and it led you-"

"Here." She finishes for him, "My own personal limbo." She holds his hand in her lap, "The power of the Miraculous can be addicting when you're not chosen by The Guardian. I knew that going in, but I didn't take it seriously enough, and neither did your father once I was gone.

"It's my fault I missed the rest of your childhood, that I couldn't be at your graduation or your wedding, or will get to meet your child." She takes a shaky breath, "I'm sorry I left you." She squeezes his hand.

Adrien leans over and envelops her in a hug, feeling as if he's a kid again for a brief moment. She wraps both her arms around her son, tears streaming down her cheeks. "It's not your fault. I love you." He sniffles, his own tears free falling. "I turned out okay, I think." He tries to joke.

She chuckles, "You're perfect as far as I'm concerned, dear."

After the moment passes, they mutually straighten up; Emilie wiping her tears, as well as Adrien's, away. "I do have one concern, Adrien," She clears her throat, returning to a classic motherly tone, "you were going to ask for a Miracle Wish, weren't you? How did you even get those Miraculous when your father couldn't?"

He looks down between them, "Well, I'm Chat Noir, actually." He admits, peeking up to see his mom's reaction which is a mix of surprise and astonishment.

"You were chosen by The Guardian?" She asks with genuine curiosity.

"Yep."

"And your father used Akumas to fight against you and Ladybug? You could have gotten hurt, or worse! Does he know now?" She questions, her voice filled with retroactive concern.

"No, father still doesn't know it was me all along."

She considers this for a moment, "Best to keep it that way. And so Ladybug lent you her Miraculous for this?"

A sad smile crosses his lips, "Ladybug is my wife, Marinette, actually." He adds, unable to keep any secrets from her.

Emilie's eyes widen, "So it's true what the Grimoire says, that Ladybugs and Chat Noirs are bound by their souls to each other. Soul mates." She grins, "I'm so glad you get to have that."

The phrase 'soul mates' echoes in his mind. He never thought of their relationship that way, feeling more like star-crossed-lovers than anything else. But he knew it to be true, that their fates and lives were destined to intertwine and end with them in each other's arms.

"That's why I'm here, why I'm using her Miraculous." He says grimly, catching Emilie off guard. "She's sick, and she has a 50/50 chance of getting through it. We've already been through so much, I just need one guarantee in our lives, for once!" He fumes, standing up abruptly and starting to pace.

"So you want to use the Miracle Wish." She states knowingly. She rises to block his pacing, holding him by the shoulders, "What about the price? There's an equal exchange that the universe will make you pay." She warns.

"I know! And I'm willing to live with that to save Marinette and our baby." He tells her, as much as he tells himself.

She shakes her head, "No, you can't, you can't live with that decision. I don't want that for you, I didn't even want it for your father." Her grip on him is steady, "You said she has a chance, and you have to believe that she'll make it through because that's all you can do, without breaking the laws of nature or, more importantly, your humanity.

"I know nothing is certain in life, but you have to trust that things happen for a reason. And who are we to tip that scale?" She says firmly, obviously having a lot of time to think about this over the years.

He looks away, "But it's like you said, we're soulmates. How can I go on without her by my side?"

"You grew up to be a great man without me, Adrien. Let me give you one last piece of motherly advice. Everyone is asked to do impossible things, to live through impossible circumstances. It's how we react and manage ourselves in those situations that define us. I want you to be braver than your father, and stronger than I was, please." She grasps his hands.

Adrien's whole frame softens, "Thanks, mom." He pulls her into a hug, "And so you know, I was never really without you." He wipes a tear from her cheek.

She leans in, stroking the back of his head gently, "Then I think it's time for you to let me go. Let me move on from his place."

His breath catches in his throat, "But what if I lose you and Marinette?" He holds her a bit tighter.

She sighs, a sad comforting smile on her face, "Then you'll have to find your path through the dark. And like you said, you'll never actually be without us. Those you love will always be with you."

He sniffles, giving a single semi-confident nod, "I know."

She leans in, "I'm sorry I didn't get to say goodbye to you before I 'disappeared'" She says softly.

"Me too." He replies soberly. The world starts shifting around him, fading and growing dimmer, as he feels like a rubber band is pulling him upward. "Bye mom," he sniffles, feeling himself slipping away.

"Goodbye, Adrien. I love you." She kisses his temple, "I'm so proud of you."

"I love you too"

The world fades to black just before his eyes snap open back in the hospital beside his comatose mother.

"Divide!" He says sharply, shaking off his transformation to turn him back into Adrien. The sudden absence of Ultimate Power makes him lightheaded; he collapses back into a chair. His heart practically vibrates in his chest, he tries to take even breaths, getting it back down to a normal rate.

His head whips up when the swift sound of the curtain in front of the door is drawn back by a concerned nurse. "Is everything alright in here?" She asks.

He nods, buying himself time to form a coherent thought, "Yes, yeah, sorry, I just needed some privacy with my mom."

"I understand." She turns to leave.

"Wait,"

She turns back to the disheveled Adrien, still in his pajamas.

"Can you tell Dr. Langly we've come to a decision? That-that my mom is ready to move on, I mean, that we've decided it would be best to let her go." His mouth goes dry at the words, but knows it's how things should be.

A sympathetic look crosses her face, "I'll let him know."

"Thank you. Can you also show me how to get back to my wife's room so I can wait for her?" His throat tightens knowing her life still hangs in the balance of fate, something he's decided is not up to him.

"Of course, follow me."

The rest of his wait is agonizing. When he wasn't calling friends and family to inform them of the situation, which he knew he had a duty to do, he stared longingly at the empty bed.

The Ladybug Miraculous seemed ever present in his front pocket, a constant reminder of the easy way out.

"Plagg?" he says under his breath. His head hangs in his hands, exhaustion of every type catching up with him as the sun starts its descent over Paris.

Plagg peeks out, floating beside Adrien's shoes to keep out of sight, "Yeah?"

"I'm sorry I almost used the Miracle Wish, and didn't listen to you before unifying our Miraculous." He mumbles, trying to not draw attention from the staff in the hallway.

Plagg pats the top of Adrien's shoe comfortingly, "I know you're sorry." He says understandingly, "I kinda expected something like that to happen, for you to lose control. But what I didn't expect was for you to pull yourself back from the edge so easily." He compliments.

He shakes his head, "It wasn't easy. But my mom really knew how to get through to me." His brow furrows, "How many times has the Miracle Wish been used exactly?"

Plagg rocks his head side to side, "Oh, maybe around a dozen; only a few were made by humans like your father, corrupted humans. Most of them were actually Ladybugs and Chat Noirs, trying to save the other." He says matter-of-factly, twisting the end of his shoelace absentmindedly.

Adrien's face twitches into a smile for a fleeting second, "That checks." He says, remembering what his mom said about soulmates. "Did they all pay the price?"

Plagg closes his eyes and nods, "They were never the same afterwards. All the Chosen are inherently good people, so the guilt always just eats away at them for the rest of their lives. That's why I tried to warn you." He adds sincerely, clearly haunted by the past.

Adrien reaches down and strokes his Kwami's head, "Thanks for looking out for me."

Plagg turns his head, "Yeah, well, someone has to when Marinette isn't around." He dismisses but his ears perk up at the end, "And speaking of-"

"Marinette!" Adrien jumps up from his seat as Marinette is pushed into the room on a transfer bed. Hooked up to an IV with some bandages around her abdomen, but with her eyes wide open, locking with his, that's all he could ask for.

The nurses slide her onto the room bed carefully, one of them approaches Adrien, "Everything went as planned. With a month of healing, she should have a full recovery." She gladly reports, the weight on Adrien's chest vanishing.

"That's fantastic," he says breathlessly, his eyes never leaving his wife, "and our baby...they're fine?"

Marinette raises her head, "I actually have news on that," she smiles, reaching out to him.

He kneels on the floor, taking her hand and kissing it softly, "What news?" He feels a pang of worry but her smile confuses him.

She breathes steadily, "They ran a few tests during all of...during everything, and one was an ultrasound for the baby." Her eyes glisten, "They told me when I woke up, the sex of our baby...Do you want to know?" She tempts, shaking his hand in hers lightheartedly.

He leans in eagerly, like it's a secret, "You know I do."

Mari gingerly lifts her other hand to stroke her baby bump, "It's a girl." She coos, a few stray tears falling down her cheeks.

He beams with happiness, placing his hand on hers over their baby girl. "I know she'll be perfect." He professes, kissing her on the lips. "Oh, and these belong to you," he pulls out her earrings from his pocket. "Maybe next time you're in a life-threatening situation, you hide these someplace I don't know." He says guiltily.

She takes her earrings, confused from the tone shift, "Why? What do you mean?"

He hangs his head, "I almost used a Miracle Wish to guarantee that you came out of this alright."

The words sink in for Marinette slowly. She smooths the hair on his head, "But...you didn't?"

"Yeah, my mom kinda talked me out of it." He says nonchalantly, removing her hand from his head and kissing her fingers.

"What? She's awake?" She looks around the room as if Emilie was sitting just out of her eyeline waiting to be acknowledged.

"N-no," he brings her attention back, "when I combined our Miraculous, the powers... I was...able to connect to her consciousness, I think. She helped me through some stuff. And...she told me she's ready to move on."

"Oh Adrien," she consoles him, "are you okay?"

He nods, "I got to say goodbye, which is more than I got to do the first time she left my life." He rubs the back of her hand with his thumb, "I'll be fine, knowing she's in a better place, and that you're going to recover in no time. And before we know it, we'll be holding our daughter. But for now, you need to rest." He leans in and kisses her forehead.

Marinette releases a relaxed sigh, closing her eyes in comfort knowing Adrien is beside her.

"Come on, Plagg, people will be here soon!" Tikki warns, zooming around the Dupain-Cheng-Agreste apartment, searching for her fellow Kwami.

She finally flies past Adrien and Marinette's bedroom, backtracking when she spies him floating beside the bed.

Her temper softens as she approaches him, whispering, "What cha' doing?" She asks, even though it was obvious.

His gaze doesn't leave the dozing black-haired, baby girl in the bassinet set up at the foot of the bed. "I, uh, Adrien and Marinette are busy getting things ready for the party, so I, uh, figured I better keep an eye on the kid." He attempts to say coolly but as usual is unable to hide how much he cares.

Tikki smiles, "She's just taking a nap, and Marinette has the baby monitor on her at all times."

He shrugs, "Well, you never know! Babies are such fragile...things, after all. Can't go trusting technology where ancient beings like us can do the job better." He hangs on the side of the bassinet vigilantly.

"And that's what makes you such a great babysitter." Marinette chimes in as she enters the room.

Plagg backs away, shaking his head, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Mari pats the baby monitor clipped onto her hip, "I think I do."

He mumbles to himself, rolling his eyes as Mari moves in to pick up the baby. "Watchherhead," he mumbles before turning to Tikki. "Alright let's go hide already, people will be here soon, come on!" he exclaims before zooming out of the room.

Tikki gives her Chosen a look before following him out.

Mari smiles as she cradles her one-week old daughter in her arms. "Come on, Amelia." She whispers as she rouses from her nap. "There'll be a bunch of people who want to meet you."

She squirms and yawns, finally opening her green eyes to the world, cooing at the sight of her mother.

There's a knock on the open bedroom door, "Knock, knock," Adrien announces himself, coming up beside them, "There's my girls," he kisses Mari then Amelia on her forehead. "Everything's set. Your parents will probably be here soon. Always early birds," he comments.

"That's what happens when you run a bakery." Marinette nudges him playfully with her hip so as to not disturb their daughter.

He chuckles, "I know. Yet, you didn't inherit their timeliness." He leads them out of the bedroom and down the stairs to the main living floor where purple streamers and balloons clung to every wall and archway, along with a sign saying 'Welcome Home Amelia'. The smell of various appetizers and treats also waft through the air, waiting to entice the group of friends and family coming over to celebrate Amelia's arrival.

They stand anxiously by their front door, knowing there will be a knock any moment now, Mari bouncing to keep Amelia soothed. "I hope this goes well," she confides, her eyes locked on their child.

Adrien puts an arm around her shoulders, beaming at the two of them, "We're superheroes, we can get through anything." He assures her. The three of them sharing a moment right as there's a knock at the door.


End file.
